Magic ain't so magical
by Toonfanatic5
Summary: The guilt of killing a loved one. Confusing mixed signals from a crush. Enemy's at every turn. And lastly, the restraint of using magic powers. Will tradgedy ever cease to haunt me?
1. Chapter 1: promises

Chapter one: Promises

_**A/N: **_** I love Bacon! Now that you know a little more about me, Iet's get on with the story!**

**Please, please pretty please review (Even if it's anonymous) so that my heart can swell up like a balloon and burst with joy. **

_**Disclaimer: **_**I do not own the Naruto or the Disney princess concept. **

(Key)

**Bold – Sakura's inner thoughts**

_Italics – Sakura's thoughts_

The music blasted through the stereo system, causing vibrations to seep through my bedroom walls. I groaned in frustration. It wasn't the music that annoyed me, oh no. It was the fact that I wasn't good enough to be invited that angered me.

I stumbled out of bed and made my way towards the window. I seated myself on my tower's windowsill and gazed at the neighbouring castle. Most of the guests could be seen through the glass walls of the party room. Even though they were dressed in their finest attire, they danced and grinded against each other as if they were in a club.

My emerald eyes then searched for the four guests of honour. I caught sight of a brunette beauty named princess Ten-Ten, who was jabbering away to her violet haired friend. No doubt she was still droning on about how she escaped from the 'terrible' beast that had held her captive. Her yellow dress swayed as she retold her story with the use of dramatic motions.

I scowled. She always describes the beast in the most horrific way possible, making him seem like a total monster. Everything she had said about him is absolute bullshit! You will never find a more kind and gentle soul anywhere but inside that furry creature. And besides, the only reason she was held captive was that he could teach her a lesson. Princess Ten-Ten is known as the weapons mistress and she loves to hunt. And the beast was going to be her innocent victim.

I looked at her friend who was timidly tapping her two index fingers together. Her snow white face looked down to the ground as she nibbled on her bottom lip. Her lavender eyes kept darting around the room suspiciously. Poor princess Hinata, she's been through so much. She had lost all sense of security ever sense her step mother had tried to assassinate her numerous times. The old hag had even resorted to poisoning an apple. Her step mother is really fucked up in her head. Imagine trying to murder someone just because you are jealous of their beauty? Fortunately she was caught and thrown into a dark dungeon by King Hiashi himself.

The third princess suddenly caught my eye. Princess Temari slowly made her way towards her royal friends. She was wearing her favourite dress that hugged her petite figure and draped off her shoulders. The dress's colour kept changing from pink to blue and back to pink again. Her fairy guardians had crafted the dress for her but they could never agree on the colour. With a flick of their wands they repeatedly dyed the dress and accidently enchanted the gown. It automatically shaded itself to the two optional colours.

With a sleepy expression on her face, she greeted her friends. I chuckled to myself. She still needs to shake off the lazy habits that she had inherited from her ex-boyfriend, Shikamaru. I remember how those two were inseparable. Their dates would always somehow involve cloud gazing, whether it was a planned activity or not. It's too bad they broke up. I was sure Temari found the so-called 'one' and that they would be soul mates forever. A true princess happy ending but I guess not.

As I continued watching the party, a pair of hands suddenly grasped my shoulders. They teasingly pushed me off my tower but still held on to me tightly. I shrieked and glanced back to see two cerulean eyes staring back at me. His sniggers echoed through my ears. I growled and elbowed the intruder in the stomach.

"That wasn't funny Gaara!" I screeched at the red haired male who was now clutching his stomach.

"And how many times have I told you to stay out of my room?"

"Since when do I listen to a bitch like you?" he mumbled.

"Nii-san!" I shouted angrily as I tried to tackle my brother onto the ground.

Unfortunately his reflexes were extremely good as he dodged my attack. I tripped and crashed onto the cold floor. Gaara quickly pinned me down as he sat on top of me.

"Help! Incest rape!" I screamed.

"Shut up before I stuff sand in your mouth again." He said, cringing at the sound of my loud voice.

I stuck my tongue out and twisted my face in disgust. Yuck! I can still taste the sand he crammed into my mouth from the last time. "Alright, you win this round" I said rolling my eyes.

The bastard smirked and released me as he stood up.

"What are you doing sitting on the windowsill anyway?" he asked plonking himself onto my bed.

"The music woke me up, so I decided I might as well watch the party and see what's going on" I shrugged. I returned back to my seat upon the window. The wind gently blew my pink locks across my face. I giggled as it continued to play with my black silky nighty. "Ever notice how the wind is a very perverted element?" I giggled.

Gaara shook his head sadly. "Only my sister could think of something like that" he grumbled to himself.

"What are you doing in my room just so by the way?"

"I couldn't sleep either so I..."

"Well you are an insomniac" I interrupted, pointing to the dark circles around his eyes.

"So I thought I'd come check up on you" he finished.

"Check up on me? What, did you think I was going to jump out the window and kill myself?" I joked.

"Well you are mentally unstable, so it wouldn't surprise me"

I rolled my eyes and childishly stuck my tongue out at him, then returned my attention towards the party scene. Teenagers continued dancing while others stood at the bar to help themselves to the alcohol. Some had already drunk too much as they kept crashing into furniture, while some passed out on the floor. I laughed at the pathetic mortals. They really should learn how to keep their liquor down.

My laughter stopped abruptly when I saw _her_ enter the room. I clenched my fists as I saw her gracefully walking past the crowd, bewitching them with her beauty. Her glittery light blue dress framed her small waist perfectly. Her cleavage peeked out into the world, thanks to her push-up bra. The skirt of her dress poofed out, allowing males to imagine what was laying underneath all that material. She flicked her platinum blonde hair behind her shoulders and smiled sweetly at her subjects.

My fingernails tried to dig into the concrete blocks beneath me. That sweet and innocent act was enough to make me throw up. Why couldn't anyone see past her act? Why couldn't anyone see her for the little monster she really is?

_Flashback (Earlier this week)_

I firmly grasped the shopping list in my hands. I was almost done; just a few more ingredients and I'll be ready for my training.

"Sakura, are we done yet?" A grumpy Gaara groaned from behind me.

Feeling a little frustrated, I turned towards him, "It's your own fault you know. I told you I don't need an escort anymore. I'm 17 for fuck's sake." I snapped at him. He had been complaining for the last half an hour now and I was getting sick of it.

"Just hurry it up!" he waved his hand in the air, dismissing my comment.

I rolled my eyes. Just to piss him off, I'm going to take my sweet sweet time. **Take that bitch! **My inner laughed manically. I turned my back towards him and continued sauntering to my favourite store.

I looked up at the dusty sign above the door. The letters faintly spelt out the name of the shop. 'Ol' Granny Witch', it read.

The rusty old sign dangled dangerously from the outside wall. Gaara laid his eyes upon it too, glaring at it suspiciously. He hurriedly rushed me inside; worried that it would fall and crush me. I sighed. Did he always have to act like he is my bodyguard?

While I slowly browsed the shelves, Gaara stood by the doorway. He leaned against the wall, waiting for me to finish with my shopping. With his usual serious facade, he watched me as I bobbed and weaved through the wooden shelves, filling my basket.

_Eye of newt. _**No one uses that anymore. **_50 grams of fairy dust. _**Wow, I always wanted sparkly skin (Sarcasm). **_Troll snot. _**Uhm, EW! **As I threw the items in my basket, my inner conscience couldn't help but comment on every ingredient. She can be such a temperamental little brat sometimes. **What did you say? **My inner Sakura started cracking her knuckles.

Ignoring my mental state of mind I walked to the counter to pay. An elderly woman smiled at me as she rang up the items one by one.

"54 Konocoins please."

I placed the money in her frail hands, grabbed my purchase and headed towards the door.

"Sakura-san!" a voice called out, stopping me from walking out the store.

I turned around to see a green elf on the far side of the shop, waving his hand frantically to try and catch my attention. It was none other than the speed demon himself.

"Hi Lee." I shouted.

In the blink of an eye, he stood in front of me. The slow breeze trying to catch up to him, brushed his bowl cut hairstyle. He grinned, showing off his pearly whites.

"How is my favourite youthful cherry blossom?"

"Can't complain, how about you?"

"I am feeling most youthful today." he grinned, giving me a thumbs up.

"What are you doing here? I didn't think this would be your type of store." I asked, pointing towards all the potion ingredients.

A blush formed on his light green cheeks as he looked at the ground. His pointy ears gave a nervous twitch. "Actually I was looking for you." He said, while rubbing his neck."I was wondering if you wanted to..."

**Crap! Ugly here is going to ask you out! Run! **_Aw, come on. He's not THAT bad. _**Do you not see the caterpillars above his eyes, the ludicrous hairstyle or the creepy circular eyes? **_Ok, so he might not be the most attractive but he is so sweet. A proper gentleman. _**Face it honey, elves and our kind do not mix.**

"Yeah, maybe we could go for some..." Lee continued.

A hand suddenly grabbed onto my shoulder and pulled me back, forcing me to stand behind a figure. An arm extended out in front of me, as if it was protecting me from danger. My head jerked upwards to see the head full of red hair.

"She's busy!" Gaara retorted.

Lee's bushy eyebrows rose in surprise as he stared into the eyes of my brother. "Ah, Gaara-kun. I did not see you there."

Gaara glared at the elf. His fury caused his veins to throb at the side of his neck.

"I just wanted to ask your sister if she wanted to go out for some..."

"She's not interested!" he snapped, interrupting Lee.

Anger clouded the elf's eyes. He puffed out his chest as he took a step towards my brother. "No disrespect Gaara-kun but it is not up to you to decide. Sakura-san must answer that for herself for that is the power of youth!"

Gaara balled his fingers into a fist. He closed the small gap between him and Lee as he stepped forward. "Don't think I won't kill you or your fucking youth" he rasped.

Worried that a fight was going to occur, I grabbed a hold of Gaara's hand and pulled him towards the door, "We have to go now Lee. Maybe some other time, neh?" I smiled at the speed demon. "Come Gaara."

My brother gave Lee one last death defiant stare before allowing me to tug him outside.

"Bye Sakura-san!" Lee called out before speeding out of the store. He's green body blurred before me and then vanished.

_Stupid males and their need for violence. And they accuse woman of always looking for drama._ I thought to myself. I turned around, my eyebrows turned into a frown. My hand extended out, striking my brother across the face. "What the hell is wrong with you?" I demanded.

Gaara shrugged, his face turned to the side. "I just don't like him."

"For fuck's sake Gaara, you can't act all mucho everytime a boy takes interest in me!" I shouted angrily, not caring about the people who were now watching our argument. "Don't you want to become an uncle? How do you expect me to get married and have kids if you chase away every male that even breathes my way? Until what age am I even allowed to lose my virginity? If that's even an option. Probably not, you'd most likely prefer it if I became a nun for the rest of my life! I swear you can be so hot headed sometimes..." I rambled on. Gaara stayed silent, listening to my incessant babbling.

"A hundred." He finally said.

"Huh?"

"When you're a hundred years old, I'll consider it."

"A hundred wha...? BAKA! I'll sleep with whom I want, whenever I want!" I screamed, lunging for his throat. I pushed him down onto the ground, trying my best to strangle him but his brawny hands prevented me from doing as I wish. An audience had now gathered around us, taking a big interest in our fight.

"Oh look girls. It seems the riff raff has come out to play." A sarcastic voice spoke. The audience shifted their attention from the fight. They immediately fell to their knees and bowed respectively.

I froze as I realized who was standing behind me. My face twisted in disgust when I uttered her name, "Ino"

"That's princess Ino to you, peasant." She spat.

I stood up and spun around to face my nemeses in the eye. "What are you doing here?" I sneered.

"What? Can't I just wonder the streets of my kingdom, greeting my fellow subjects?" She asked innocently. She placed a hand over her chest, pretending to be offended.

"Well you're on the wrong street. The prostitute corner is two streets over." I smirked.

Ino suddenly grabbed onto my shirt, her eyes narrowed dangerously, "Be careful what comes out of that dirty little mouth of yours. Being disrespectful to a princess has its consequences." She hissed.

"I-I-Ino-chan. Let's just d-do what we c-came here t-to do." Hinata's soft voice spoke from behind her.

I peeked over the blonde's shoulder to see the rest of the princess crew. In their hands lay multiple scrolls, each one tied with a small red ribbon.

"Yeah, just leave bubblegum head alone. She's not worth the trouble" said Temari, yawning.

"In a minute. I'm considering a suitable punishment for this little witch." Her baby blue eyes sparkled as evil thoughts began crossing her mind. Her grip tightened on my clothing, her nails were now scratching my skin.

"Your highness, I must respectfully request that you let go of my sister immediately" Gaara's deep voice boomed from behind me.

The royal pain shifted her gaze from me and stared at my sibling. Her lips tugged into a flirtatious grin. "Ah, Gaara-kun" She purred, "The young warrior in training. Why do you waste your time protecting this insignificant being, when you could do so much more? I could offer you my castle to become your new home, where you will live a life of luxury. In return, all you have to do is make sure no harm will befall on me or my family." Her icy glare returned towards me, "And to forget about this worthless peasant"

"Thank you princess, but I must courteously decline your offer." He said. I could hear a hint of rage in his voice but he was trying his best to keep his temper under control.

Ino's face fell, disappointment was evident in her facade. But she quickly recovered and returned to her lady like composure. Her hand released my garments. She gracefully took a step back, her stare still fixed towards me.

"Hinata!" she barked. "Give Gaara-kun his invitation."

The violet haired girl nervously stepped forward and handed him a scroll.

"Arigato Princess Hinata." He said in his usual monotonous tone.

The timid royal blushed and nodded her head, before retreating back to her friends.

"And where is Sakura's scroll?" Ino asked her.

Hinata looked at the blonde, her usual shy and timid concealment now replaced with shock and embarrassment. "B-b-but we didn't m-make o-one for S-Sakura." She nervously tapped her fingers.

"We didn't?"Asked Ino, acting surprised. "That's too bad. I guess she can't come to our little celebration then." She smirked as she spun around to recoil back to her carriage. "I hope to at least see _you _there Gaara-kun." She glanced back, eyeing him up and down. "Maybe we could have our own private fun" She giggled as she entered her coach.

Fuck, I wanted to kill her! **Let me at that skank, I'll rip her to shreds! I don't care if is a royal! How dare she have such filthy thoughts about Gaara! **_For once I am in complete agreement with you! _My fist clenched as I was about to rush up to her but Gaara grabbed onto my wrist, restraining me.

"Until next time, my loyal subjects." Ino called out, as her hand gave an elegant wave out the window.

Everyone stared in awe at the cart that carried the royal blood. They whispered praises amongst themselves of 'how graceful Ino was', 'how kind she was' and 'she would make a fine queen someday'. Where these people oblivious to what just happened? Did they not just see her true personality come forth and announce its presence to the world?

"Sometimes people only see what they want to see." Answered Gaara, as if he read my thoughts.

I scowled. "What does the scroll say?"

"We don't need to..."

"Just read it ok?" I snapped.

Gaara sighed and gently removed the red ribbon. After unrolling the piece of paper, he cleared his throat.

"

_**Gaara**_

Ye are invited to the festivities occurring at the Yamanaka castle in honour of:

Princess Yamanaka Ino.

Daughter of Yamanaka Inoichi - King of Konohagakure.

Princess Buki Ten-Ten.

Daughter of Buki Akihiko - King of the Buki lands

Princess Hyuga Hinata.

Daughter of Hyuga Hiashi - King of the Hyuga lands

And sister of Hyuga Neji - heir to the throne.

Princess Temari.

Daughter of Sabaku no Yondaime - King of Sunagakure

And sister of Sabaku no Kankuro - heir to the throne.

Time: From sunset until early in the morrow, next week.

Formal attire is required."

"So, will you be attending?" I asked once he had finished reading the text.

He slowly started tearing up the page and tossed it into the air, allowing the wind to scatter the pieces across the street. "Hn, I don't wear formal clothing" he shrugged.

_End of flashback._

As I watched Ino enter the room, my lips formed into a smirk as an idea suddenly popped into my head. I raised my thumb towards my teeth and was about to draw the blood I required when another hand caught mine.

"Behave yourself!" Gaara growled behind me.

I scowled, "Come on! You know she deserves it!"

"That may be true but you shouldn't be abusing your powers"

"Says the one who uses his power to stuff sand down his sister's throat" I shot back.

Gaara pulled me back inside and gripped my chin, forcing me to look at him. I shivered as I saw the rage in his eyes.

"You know that performing spells on a royal is forbidden and that the ultimate penalty is death!" he hissed.

"Ow Gaara! You're hurting me!" I whimpered but his grip tightened, his fingers sunk deeper into my skin.

"Don't you ever attempt such a stunt again! Do you hear me?"

"But it was only going to be a small spell, no one would ever know." I tried to explain but I immediately regretted my words as I felt a trail of sand coiling up my leg. The roughness of the sand scratched my skin, causing it to bleed,

"Promise me Sakura!" Gaara snarled.

"Fine! Whatever, just let me go!" I shouted.

He scowled but released my jaw and commanded the sand to let go of my leg. My body fell onto the concrete floor. I looked up to see him trudge towards my window and stare at the outside world. He took deep breaths and tried to calm himself down.

I looked down at my leg to examine the damage. It wasn't too bad. Just a few minor scratches, nothing a healing potion can't fix.

"Sakura."

I looked up again. His back was still turned to me.

"I just don't want to lose you Sakura, you are my entire world." He said. The sadness in his voice tugged at my heart strings. "You are the person most precious to me."

Sighing, I slowly rose to my feet and walked towards my older brother. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face into his back, taking in his scent.

"Will you sleep next to me tonight? Just so that I won't be tempted?"I asked.

He smirked and ruffled my bubblegum pink hair.

As we climbed underneath the covers, he protectively enclosed his arms around my body. I beamed. It's times like these that I loved having an older brother. He always had a way to make me feel safe and secure. Although it gets annoying, I am grateful that he is always looking out for me.

"Goodnight Onii-san"

"Goodnight brat"

Okay, I'm taking my previous comments back. FUCK YOU GAARA!

_**A/N: **_**I hope you all enjoyed my first chapter. I realise Gaara seems a little OOC but next chapter he'll return back to normal. And I know this chapter wasn't that exciting but tune in next week for chapter two. Trust me, you'll want to. Why? Well you'll have to wait and see.**

**Just a little side note, I didn't know what Ten-Ten's second name is or who her father is so I used the internet to find a suitable name. **

*******Akihiko**** means 'Bright prince'**

*******Buki**** means 'weapons'**

**And last but not least, would you please push the pretty little review button below and leave your comments? Come on, you know you want to! Do it for Gaara-kun! (^^,)**


	2. Chapter 2: training

Chapter two: training

_**A/N: **_**It's so heartbreaking. No one reviewed my story. Is it really that bad? Well, I kinda already got ahead of myself and wrote 6 chapters of this story. Soooo yeah... I suppose I should just continue with the second chapter I guess.**

**(Key)**

**Bold – inner Sakura**

"Isn't this just adorable?" A deep voice spoke, waking up Gaara and I. "WAIT! This is gives me an excellent idea for my next novel! I'll call it 'Incest love'. Yeah, I like the sound of that. There can be a scene where the brother starts with a little foreplay..."

The voice stopped abruptly and was replaced by strangled cries and angry grunts.

I turned to my side to see Gaara strangling our grandfather. Anger clouded his cerulean eyes as his grip tightened around my grandfather's throat.

I sighed and sat up straight. "Jiraiya-sama, do you have to start with your perverted thoughts so early in the morning?" I groaned, while rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

I looked back at my grandfather's face that had now turned blue...SHIT! HIS FACE IS BLUE! I jumped out of bed and tackled Gaara off the old pervert. Jiraiya sat up straight, gasping for air. I watched the blue fade away and his skin returned to its original colour.

"Can you please take your bony ass off me?" Gaara groaned beneath me.

I smacked him across the face, my hand leaving an imprint on his pale skin. "Baka!" I growled, "You nearly killed him"

"Grumpy as always" He scowled.

"Well, Sakura's never been a morning person" Jiraiya stated, stroking his chin. "But it doesn't matter, come on Sakura. We are training earlier than usual today. I expect both of you to be dressed and backpacks packed in the next half an hour"

"Fuck that! I'm going back to bed!" I snapped, trudging towards my untidy bed.

Jiraiya sighed, "Guess I'm going to have to summon the toads again."

"T-t-the toads?" I shuddered at the thought of those slimy creatures crawling all over my bed. I turned towards Jiraiya, a fake grin plastered on my face. "First dibs on the bathroom!"

* * *

><p>After a quick shower and wolfing down our breakfast, Gaara and I followed Jiraiya to our special training grounds. It's situated just outside the Kingdom of Konoha, inside a secluded forest. The trees are so thick that no mere mortal dares to tread through the green land, for they fear that they will go astray and never return to the kingdom. But for us special folk, we can easily conjure up ways that will guide us back home.<p>

Upon reaching our spot, we started unpacking our backpacks. I quickly unloaded all my jars, test tubes and mixing bowls. As soon as I was done, I watched Gaara unpack his mini jars filled with different types of sand, and set them onto the ground before him. Each sand jar was shaded a different colour, from beige to orange to brown.

He eagerly fingered the glass containers, admiring his dirt. His hands started twitching, indicating that he was anxious to get to work. That's my Gaara-kun, the eager elementer.

What is an elementer you ask? Well, an elementer can basically control certain elements using a type of energy called chakra. They are a special type of warrior that trains under apprenticeship. But Gaara didn't know anyone who could teach him about his sand abilities, so Jiraiya-sama stepped up and offered to help.

Even though Jiraiya isn't an elementer, he is one of the greatest warlocks of our time. He studied different techniques and tried to teach them to my sibling. His magic skills has brought him this far and is quite an amazing power to behold. His wizardry has saved the kingdom many times before and is a close friend of King Yamanaka. The king had even gifted the castle we live in to Jiraiya, as a token of thanks for being a great hero. It was because of our grandfather, that witches and warlocks are free to cast spells without the fear of being caught and burned alive. As long as we abide by the rules, we will not be harmed.

As soon as we finished setting up our equipment, Jiraiya started giving us instructions on what to do, "Gaara, I want you to command the sand to escape their jars WITHOUT smashing them. They must be able to twist the lid open" He explained.

He then turned towards me, "Sakura, you must concoct the perfect chakra potion. Gaara's going to need all the extra energy he can get for this difficult technique."

"Hai, Jiraiya-sama!" We chimed.

"Oh and Sakura."

"Yes Ojii-sama?"

"Read the instructions" he warned, before turning away.

I snorted. Instructions just slow people down. What if someone were to attack me right now and I needed a spell to protect myself? Would the attacker really wait patiently for me to finish reading the instructions? I think not.

**Focus on the task at hand, Sakura**. My inner commanded.

Oh yes! Wow, my first chakra potion! I tied my short hair into a spiky ponytail, so that it wouldn't irritate my face. I then excitedly pulled out my book of potions to search for the ingredients that I needed. "The chakra potion can...blah blah blah. Warning, if chakra potion...blah blah blah! Just show me the dam ingredients will ya?" I grumbled to myself. "Ah! Here it is! 1 genuine lightning bolt in a bottle; 2 snake tails; 5 cups of sugar; 2 newt arms and the blood of the patient"

Chhhhyyyyyaaaaaa! This is going to be easy! I have all the necessary ingredients here, except for the lightning. Well I know a lightning spell, I could always trap that in a bottle. _And as for the blood_, I grinned as I glanced at Gaara. Extracting blood from him is going to be fun. But for now, I should concentrate on the lightning first.

I grabbed a rubber bottle and stalked off deep into the forest. I have to be far away from people as possible when I'm conjuring my lightning spell.

Now there are two ways of producing lightning. You can either create a mini rain cloud and capture the lightning or use the battle lightning spell. I'm not going to bother with the rain cloud spell as it takes too long and quite frankly I don't want to wet my hair. So battle lightning spell it is!

Taking a huge breath, I made my hands collide together with such force that it stung my palms. The loud clap echoed through my eardrums. Ignoring the pain, I rubbed my hands together and allowed the friction to burn my hands. "Denkou!" I roared as I raised my hands in the air.

An electrical charge surged through my fingertips. Suddenly blue lightening emerged and danced around my hands, hissing and crackling warnings not to be touched. As I dropped my one hand, the lightning around it disappeared. Using my free hand, I held the rubber jar and fired the thin blue lights of energy into the container. I then proceeded to slam the jar shut, ensuring that my ingredient did not escape. _One down, one to go, _I thought to myself as I walked back towards our training spot.

As I placed my jar down alongside my other ingredients, I heard Gaara moan in frustration. I walked towards my tomato headed brother and lightly tapped him on the shoulder.

"Not now Sakura! I'm busy!" he growled, his hand extended towards a jar of sand. The container started shaking but then stood still abruptly. Gaara sighed as he dropped his arm to rest for a second. He then once again stretched out his arm and tried to complete his technique.

I impatiently tugged on his shirt, "Gaara I need some of your blood for my potion"

He did not respond, instead he continued to concentrate on the containers before him.

"You know, the potion that I was instructed to make, to help YOU" I continued, folding my arms over my chest. Still no reply. Exasperated, I threw my hands in the air and walked towards my bag.

"Fine, I'll take it by force!" I sneered.

There was no way I was going to wait patiently for him to collapse on the ground from exhaustion, just so I can get a fucking blood sample.

I seized a small pocket knife and a test tube from my backpack. The silver blade glinted in the broad daylight. _Ready or not Gaara, _I thought to myself as I spun around to face him. _Here I come! _I dashed forward with full force and lunged towards his extended arm.

Before my brother could protest, the blade came in contact with his skin. A small slit appeared on his pale skin. Blood trailed down his arm and dripped into the test tube.

Gaara pushed me off, causing me to fall onto the ground. I held on tightly to the glass tube, making sure that I didn't spill any of the liquid. He hissed in pain as glared at me. The dark circles surrounding his eyes scrunched up, emphasizing his anger.

I sat up straight, still clutching onto my blood sample. A victorious smirk tugged at my lips.

"Couldn't you have waited until I was done?" he snarled.

I rolled my eyes as I rose to my feet. Ignoring his death glares.

I strolled over to my backpack to start concocting my potion. I threw all the ingredients inside a wooden mixing bowl and started to crush them into a lumpy paste. The blood that was added, dyed the items a dark shade of red. Next the final entry would have to be my lightning bolt to cook all the ingredients. Holding the bottle an arm's length away from me, I slowly opened the lid and aimed the container towards my bowl. The lightening hissed as it escaped from its confinement and crashed into my ingredients, mixing and melting them together.

The once crimson mixture had now been changed into a black sticky goop. As it bubbled ferociously, steam twisted and tangled amongst each other as it rose from the bowl. A horrid burnt smell permeated the air. Trying not to throw up, I poured the liquid into a mug. It slowly oozed away from the wooden bowl, taking it's time to enter its new cup. _I'd like to see Gaara try and chug that_, I smirked.

After placing the ceramic mug next to me, I seated myself upon a rock to watch my brother continue with his elementer training. He grew more and more agitated as his endless failures tried to dishearten him. One bottle would jiggle slightly but refused to do what he wanted. Taking a deep breath, he's arms momentarily dropped to his sides. He closed his eyes and tried to relax. Then repositioning himself, he widened his stance, reclined his arm and curved his fingers into a claw. He mumbled words of encouragement to himself. But his motivational words did nothing for his performance.

"Gaara-kun, maybe you should take a break?" I suggested as I heard him pant heavily.

He ignored my advice and continued with his training, anxious to perform the new technique. I sighed. I know perseverance is good and all but it doesn't hurt to take a breather. Curse these male egos. It's times like these when I'm glad I'm a witch. It doesn't add as much pressure as being an elementer does.

Gaara's pants grew even more intense. His shoulders heaved up and down as he tried to gasp for air. Suddenly his body grew limp as he collapsed onto the ground. His eyelids began to droop, wanting to fall into a deep sleep.

"Gaara!" I cried worriedly.

Snatching the ceramic mug, I rushed to his side. I hurriedly rolled him onto his back. Then, using my two fingers I pushed his lips apart and poured the potion down his mouth. I waited impatiently for the concoction to take effect.

His cerulean eyes suddenly spring back to life and he sat up straight, coughing and spluttering.

"What did you just shove down my throat?" He twisted his face in disgust.

"You're welcome" I folded my arms sulkily.

His body started shaking violently.

"Gaara? Are you OK?" I asked as I saw him shivering.

He jumped back onto his feet and looked at me in confusion. "What are you talking about Sakura? I feel fantastic! I feel like I can do anything! That was a good potion! A good potion, yes it was!" He spoke quickly. He's eyes widened as a huge grin graced his face.

I eyed him suspiciously. This was a little out of character. I stared worriedly at his body that was vibrating and refused to keep still. He was acting like a hyperactive four year old.

"Watch this Sakura!" He shouted, bouncing up and down excitedly.

He once again reclined his arm and commanded the sand to do his bidding. This time not one but all the glass jars were moving this time, shaking more wildly than ever before. The imprisoned sand tumbled around their prisons and seemed to be trying to push the glass walls down. I nervously took a few steps back.

"Gaara...?"

Without warning, the jars exploded and sharp pieces of glass darted around the area. Some of the jagged edges flew at me, slicing into my skin. I dived behind my rock, avoiding the sharp objects that were firing at me.

"Jiraiya-sama!" I screamed. I cringed at the stinging sensation made on my flesh. I inspected my body and saw a few minute pieces of glass glinting in the light.

"Kuso" I cursed, gritting my teeth at the pain.

After a minute or two, I peered over my rock shield to make sure it was safe to come out from hiding. I gasped as I saw a limp body lying on the floor. Glass pierced the fleshy tissue making it look like sparkling acupuncture needles. Red liquid poured through the holes of the body, staining the ground beneath him and his clothing.

My body instinctively ran towards him. "Gaara!" I cried.

I gently caressed his pale face, my eyes widened in fear. "Gaara please speak to me!" I demanded. His body twitched from the extra energy intake.

"S-Sak-u-ra" gasped my injured brother, struggling to breath. He tried to sit up straight but the glass wriggled inside his flesh as he moved. He screamed in pain.

"Don't move Nii-san" I instructed. I clutched onto his hand, trying to calm him down.

"Jiraiya!" I roared trying to summon him.

His body started shivering as his temperature started to drop. His chest jerked vehemently, as loud hoarse coughs came from his throat. Dark red liquid shortly joined the cough and started erupting out of his mouth. He suddenly made small vomit noises as his chest continued to jolt violently. Blood and the black potion oozed over his lips and dripped down his face.

"Jiraiya!" I screamed at the top of my voice.

"Sakura!" I heard a reply from the distance. The sound of ninja sandals clip clopping on the ground made me sigh with relief.

"D-don't worry, G-G-Gaara-kun. W-we are going to g-get you some h-help soon" I whimpered, tightening my grip on his hands. His typical cold eyes were now widened in fear. With one last gasp, his eyes slowly closed and his body stopped twitching.

I started to panic, "Gaara? Speak to me."

No response, just dead silence.

"Dammit Gaara, reply!" I cried, slamming my fist onto the ground. But the only noise that could be heard was the sound of Jirayia's sandals tapping against the ground.

The clip clopping of the footwear stopped abruptly. I looked up to see the shock expressed on my grandfather's face. Tears were streaming down, tracing the red lines painted on his face. His eyes darted towards the objects piercing Gaara's body. He then glanced at the black goop mixed with blood, dripping down the corners of Nii-san's mouth. He turned his attention towards me. His eyes locked with mine. A disbelieving and disappointed facade invaded that friendly face of his.

"Sakura, you killed him"

_**A/N: **_**and that was chapter two. I hope you are all enjoying my story so far. So what do you guys think? Is Gaara really dead? What do you think went wrong? And the most important question, who's going to review my story? **

**The next chapter is already written and is waiting to be posted. So the more reviews I get, the sooner I upload. If you have any questions for me, feel free to either ask via a review or you can PM me. Until next time, bye bye :)**


	3. Chapter 3: Scent

Chapter three: Scent

_**Disclaimer: **_**Me no own Naruto!**

(Key)

**Bold- Sakura's inner **

_Italics- Thoughts_

* * *

><p>"Sakura, you killed him"<p>

I sat there, staring at Jiraiya with a look of hurt and distress. "I-I killed him?" I stammered.

Jiraiya walked towards Gaara's corpse.

_No,_ I scolded myself, _he is not a corpse. He is still breathing for fuck sakes._

My guardian continued examining the body, trying to decipher what went wrong. "You didn't read the instructions, did you?" He said, his face twisted in anger. "The warning clearly states all the possible things that can go wrong. What ingredients did you use?"

"I used everything that was listed" I explained.

"Did you have lightning in a bottle?"

I shook my head, "no, so I used the battle lightning spell to create my own."

My answer silenced him. He cocked his head to the side, his mind deep in thought. _So was it my lightning spell that caused the accident?_

"How much blood did you add into the potion?"

"Huh?"

"How much blood Sakura?"

I scratched my head, trying to remember how much blood I poured into the bowl. My thumb and index finger parted slightly, as I showed him the estimated amount. He stared at my fingers in awe.

"That wasn't enough," he snapped. "There needs to be more blood so that it can absorb all the extra sugar and energy. The concoction increased his stamina way too much, causing his chakra flow to overload."

I looked at Gaara in disbelief. _How could such a small detail cause so much damage? _I asked myself. I mentally shook my head. This is not the time to ponder about what went wrong.

"Jiraiya-sama, let's take him to a healer immediately. We have to try and save his life." I pleaded.

Jiraiya shook his head, as if he was trying to wake up from this nightmare. "Sakura, I think it may be too late." he said, not looking me in the eye.

Anger suddenly flickered into my veins. _You're not even going to try? _

Ignoring his hypothesis, I picked up Gaara in my arms and carried him bridal (?) style. I wasn't about to give up on my brother. "If you won't do anything about it, I will!" I snarled.

I dashed past my grandfather and disappeared through the entangled trees.

The woods blocked out the sunlight, making my task more difficult. Branches appeared out of nowhere and scratched at my skin. Twigs shaped like clawed hands grabbed onto my clothing and tore holes in the precious material. But I didn't care. My body twisted and turned, taking the blow from Mother Nature and preventing her from injuring my Nii-san any further.

The cruel roots of the trees grew over the surface and tried to trip me. I nearly stumbled and collided onto the ground. But determined to protect my sibling, I quickly regained my balance and continued running.

Pain suddenly seeped through my arms as Gaara's weight began wearing down my strength. I cursed my body for being so weak but refused to rest. A soft groan escaped from Gaara's lips. I examined his face to see tears of blood spilling from the wounds and designed an intricate pattern on his cheeks.

"Don't worry Gaara-kun" I whispered to him. "We are almost there"

Relief washed over me as civilisation peeped through the depths of the forest. Forcing speed to take over my bruised legs, I rushed into the kingdom of Konoha. With no disregard to the staring eyes of passersby, I made my way towards the healer's home.

"I need to see Tsunade-sama immediately!" I commanded, as I reached the front desk.

A dark haired woman did not look up from her paperwork. "Do you have an appointment?" She asked sternly.

"Do you not see what I have in my hands!" I snarled.

The woman's head slowly rose to look in my direction. Her dark eyes widened as she saw the body resting in my arms. She jumped up from her chair and bustled down a corridor. She beckoned me to follow her down the passageway. I did as I was told and trailed behind her until we reached an office.

"Tsunade-sama! We have an emergency!" She yelled as she burst through the door.

"What is it now Shizune?" A dirty blonde haired woman groaned. She slowly looked up and saw the state of Gaara's body. Her eyes examined the sharp glistening objects that stuck out of the fleshy tissue. "Shizune, take this boy immediately to the operating room." She barked.

"Hai!" The assistant obeyed and relieved me of my brother. My arms tingled as I felt the extra weight disappear.

_Everything's going to be alright now, Gaara._ I promised him telepathically.

"Don't worry, we are going to try our best to save him." The healer reassured me, before following her assistant. "In the meantime, go and see one of the nurses to treat your bruises and cuts." She called out before disappearing through the door.

* * *

><p>I silently peered through the doorway of the operating room. I did not follow Tsunade's instructions of seeking help from a nurse. My bruised and battered body leaned outside the doorway as I watched Tsunade extract the pieces of glass. Clang! Clang! Clang! I shivered as I heard the glass hitting against the metal bucket.<p>

After all the pieces were removed, she stripped him of his stained clothing. She then walked to a nearby sink to grab a green sponge. The healer dipped it inside a bucket of water, allowing the sponge to absorb the clear liquid and started cleansing Gaara's body. After bathing him, she then proceeded to gently rub a blue ointment over his naked body to cover his wounds.

I looked down at my own clothes. My once black dress was now a faded brown. The front of my dress was wet and sticky from the red liquid that had poured out of Gaara's body. Holes randomly appeared from my chest area to the hem of my skirt. I tittered to myself. The first thing Gaara will say when he wakes up, is that I look like a bum. I would let his snide comment slide just because he had gotten injured today. My smile disappeared as the realization hit me. _I injured him._ _The damages seem to be serious. What if he doesn't make it?_

I leaned my back against the wall and slid down onto the floor. I buried my head into the palms of my hands. Tears flooded from my emerald irises as I shook my head in disbelief. **What have you done? **My inner growled at me. **He may have been a jerk at times, but he is still one of the best things that has happened in your life. And you killed him.** _No, he'll survive. He has to. He won't just abandon his little sister like this, otherwise I really will kill him._ **You already did**. _Shut up! He is alive, just you wait and see._

The sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted my little argument. I looked up to see the blond healer staring down at me, sorrow was evident in her hazel eyes.

_No! _

"I'm so sorry..." She stated.

_No, she's lying. He's alive, I know he is!_

"He...Your brother..."

_Shut up! Shut up! I won't listen!_

"He has passed away. He lost too much blood and the glass had punctured some of his vital organs. There was nothing we could do. I really am sorry." Her voice trembled.

_No! It's not true! It CAN'T be true!_ My hands gripped my pink locks tightly as I shook my head back and forth. Swiftly, I sprang to my feet.

I pushed past her and ran into the room, flinging myself onto Gaara's body. "You're lying!" I wailed, "You probably killed him because you hate our type! You hate elementers! You hate witches! He was alive when I got here, so you probably just ended his life for selfish reasons. He never would have left me like this!"

I buried my face into his cold skin trying to regain his scent. But the blue ointment had robbed me of that privilege as the smell of medicine invaded my nose.

* * *

><p>I had lost control of my legs as they automatically wandered through the streets of the kingdom.<p>

"_We will prep the body for the funeral in the next two weeks."_ Tsunade's voice echoed in my mind.

I still can't believe that he's gone. It just seemed so unreal, like it was all a dream. And no matter how much I wish and prayed that it really was just a nightmare, the cuts stinging my skin's tissue pulled me back from my hopes.

I didn't know where to go. Jiraiya-sama must surely hate me by now. I was the cause of his daughter's, my mother's, death. And now his one and only grandson is dead because of me. I can never go back, I am cursed to wander the streets alone for the rest my life. Never building a relationship with another human being again, in fear of causing their death.

"Sakura-Chan!" A bubbly voice called from behind me, pulling me away from my sad thoughts.

I turned around to see an energetic blond boy scurrying towards me, a huge grin plastered on his face. "N-N-Naruto?"

The corners of my mouth lifted up into a small smile. Naruto is a really good friend of mine, although he has made it obvious he wants to go beyond the friendship barrier. But he never had the chance to say it out loud, seeing as Gaara would send him one of his infamous death glares. _Gaara..._

Naruto suddenly tripped and stumbled forward as he ran towards me, tackling me to the floor. Normally I would have cursed him and struck his face but I didn't have the energy. He lay there on top of me, pinning me down on the cold hard floor. His face turned a bright shade of red as he realized the compromising position he was currently in. He hurriedly sprang back onto his feet and repeatedly mumbled his apologies. I however, did not get up from my spot. My lips quivered as I started crying again. I wanted the floor to swallow me up and entrap me forever, punishing me for my sins.

"I'm sorry Sakura-Chan! I didn't mean to hurt you." He nervously looked around. "Please don't tell Gaara! He'll kill me if he finds out that I hurt you"

I sat up straight and bawled my eyes out. Alarmed, Naruto sat next to me and put his arm around my shoulder. I leaned into his body and enjoyed being comforted.

"What's wrong Sakura-Chan?" He held on to me tightly.

"G-G-Gaara. H-h-he's..." I swallowed the last word. I couldn't say out loud. I don't think I ever will.

"Gaara's what? In trouble? Missing?" Naruto frowned and scratched his head.

"Gone." I whispered.

"Oh, when will he be back?" He asked.

I shook my head. This will never be a dream. "Never" my voice trembled, as I repeated it out loud.

* * *

><p>My tired head sank onto my pink cushions. The covers were thrown over my body keeping me warm. I had bathed and cleaned my wounds, avoiding infection.<p>

It had been a few hours since Naruto brought me back home. Jiraiya had flung the door open and embraced me in a welcoming hug, which took me by surprise. After making sure I was alright, he thanked Naruto and pushed me inside.

"No problem Ero-sennin" the blonde grinned cheerfully. But as quickly as it came, his smile disappeared. "I'm sorry" he said as he looked at me.

I give him a wary smile, "Arigato Naruto"

Jiraiya ordered me to clean myself up and to have a good night's rest. Even though I felt that like I didn't deserve it, I obeyed him.

I stared at the empty side of my bed where Gaara had laid last night. His scent faintly lingered on my sheets. But it wasn't strong enough to satisfy me. I climbed out of bed and silently tiptoed into the hallway. I stood in front of the door and admired it. Taking a deep breath, I pushed it open and went inside.

I peered around the room and glanced at the many bottles filled with sand that was placed upon wooden shelves. I smirked. That boy loved his dirt. I then looked at the giant beige poster that towered over his ankle bed. A huge symbol that looked like an hour glass with a small rectangle on top, was imprinted on the placard. **(A/N: Think of the Suna symbol)**

I clambered into his bed. I sniffed his pillows, the smell of springtime invaded my nostrils. I always thought that was contradictory to his character. His personality reminded me of winter, cold and harsh. But his scent smelled like fresh cut grass and rain. And he's room was the only place now where I could find that fragrance. Tears started welling up in my eyes but I help them back. I didn't want them washing the scent away.

"Sakura?" Jiraiya's voice came from the doorway.

I faced the door and saw a tray balancing on the old man's hands. A white porcelain tea set was placed on the bronze tray and jiggled as he moved towards me.

"Don't bring that in here!" I barked, afraid that the tea might spill and ruin the atmosphere.

Jiraiya nodded and placed the tea set down on to the ground. He then sat next to me on the bed, and pulled me in for a hug.

"I am sorry Ojii-san." I whimpered.

"For what?" He smiled at me. "I should be the one apologising. This whole thing was my fault, I shouldn't have given you such an advanced and dangerous potion. I don't know what I was thinking"

I observed his facade, searching for anything that told me he was lying. That it really was my fault. But all I could see was the sadness in his puffy eyes. His usual spiky white hair was now drooping down, as if there was no life in it at all.

"But I was the idiot who did not read the warnings. I seem to be the curse of this family. My mother died when she gave birth to me. My father committed suicide because he couldn't live without mom. And now Gaara..." I clenched my fists. "You are one of the greatest warlocks in history. Do you not know of any spell that can bring Gaara back to life?"

"There is one forbidden spell that requires the death of Youngblood that can bring the deceased back to life."

I pulled away from my grandfather's embrace and stared him in the eye, "give me that spell" I pleaded. "I will willingly sacrificed my life so that Gaara will live once again"

He looked at me sternly and shook his head, "No Sakura. We just have to come to terms with the fact that Gaara is gone. And there's nothing we can do about it."

"But I'm the one who killed him! Therefore it is only right that I replace his deceased life with mine!" I argued.

"You know as well as I do that even if I allow you to perform such a spell that Gaara would end his life by choice if he knew what you did. You mean everything to him. And I will not allow both my grandchildren to die by their own free will."

I scowled. But I knew that he was right.

"_I just don't want to lose you Sakura, you are my entire world." _He had said.

Yeah, I did mean everything to him. So did his sand. How ironic was it that the two things he treasured the most was the death of him.

"Do you want to sleep here tonight?" Ojii-san asked.

I meekly nodded my head. He leaned forward, kissing my forehead. His white bangs tickled my face.

"Goodnight little Cherry Blossom"

"Goodnight Ero-sennin" I teased.

Jiraiya scowled, "Not you too. Naruto is always calling me that and you know I hate it."

He headed towards the door, picking up the tray as he passed it.

"Even though it's true" I muttered.

He turned around and gave me warm smile. "Sleep tight". He called out before closing the door.

As I sat up straight in Gaara's bed, my eyes gazed at his precious sand jars again. I remember the day we discovered his affinity...

_Flashback_

Water splashed onto a six year old Sakura.

"Gaara!" she screeched. She looked up to see the red headed sibling leaning over the balcony, his hands clutching onto a bucket.

"You stank, Sakura. So I gave you a bath." He beamed.

"I'm telling gwampa!" she threatened, while rushing inside the gigantic castle. "Gwampa! Gwampa!" she called.

Gaara's eyes widened as he realised that he was about to get into trouble. He spun around and dashed inside, "Sakura is lying! I didn't do nothing!" He shouted.

His little feet padded down the stairs, his light green poncho flowed behind him. Upon reaching the bottom of the steps, he caught sight of his sister tattling to their grandfather.

"She's lying! I swear I am innocent" he pouted.

Sakura glared at her brother. "Just you wait until I become an ele-ellieminter. I'm going to teach you a lesson" she warned, wagging her finger.

"Elementer" Jiraiya corrected.

"Yeah, that thing" she scowled at her brother.

"Gwampa? What ellieminter am I going to be?" Sakura asked the white haired male.

"I don't know little cherry blossom. You might not even become an elementer. You could become a witch or stay normal" he explained. When disappointment clouded her little face, he hastily added, "But neither mommy nor daddy were normal. And I am a warlock. So I don't think you will ever be normal."

"You hear that Gaara-kun? You better watch out!" A huge grin now bearing on her face. She turned towards her grandfather and asked, "If I become a witch, what spell can I use on Gaara to take away his icky boy smell." She pinched her nose, "He smells like a yucky skunk"

Jiraiya chuckled. "Let's just wait and see what powers you will be receiving"

He then looked at the 10 year old boy quizzically, "Speaking of which, Gaara, have you been feeling different lately?"

The red haired boy shook his little head vigorously, "Nope, I feel like me!"

"No, what I mean is, is there an element that you feel very close to. Or do you feel very magicky?" Jiraiya tried to explain.

Gaara tilted his head as he thought about if anything was different. Nothing came to mind so he shrugged his shoulders.

_This is weird, his powers should be arriving round about this time. Especially since the turned 10 seven months ago. Maybe, he is destined to be the normal one of the family._ Jiraiya shrugged.

He tugged at Sakura's minute hand and pulled her upstairs. "Come on let's go get you some dry clothes."

"Can I wear my witch costume?" Sakura asked sweetly.

Jiraiya laughed, "So what do you want to be Sakura? A witch or an elementer?"

"Both!" she squealed, as they slowly disappeared upstairs.

"If only that were possible" the warlock chuckled.

Gaara, who was left alone, spun around and darted through the door to go play outside. He dived into his little sandbox. He giggled as he threw the sand in the air. "Sand rain! Sand rain!" He shouted gleefully.

"Come on Sakura! Stop squirming!" Jiraiya sighed trying to throw a black dress over Sakura's head.

She squealed and giggled as she tried to escape from Jiraiya's clutches. "Catch me if you can Ojii-san!" The hyper pinkette ran around the room. Jiraiya chortled as he chased after the six year old.

A loud scream erupted from outside. Sakura and Jiraiya stopped running and looked at each other worriedly.

"Gaara!" Jiraiya shouted.

They both ran downstairs and darted outside.

"Grandpa! Help!" The small red head snivelled. Sakura and Jiraiya froze in their tracks as they stared at the sight before them.

Sand coiled around the boy's waist. They danced in a circular motion as if they were celebrating their awakening. Gaara stood still, a fearful expression painted across his face. Jiraiya grinned at his grandson. He could feel a sense of pride bursting through his veins.

"Gaara, you are now officially an elementer."

_End of flashback_

I giggled at the thought of Gaara's fearful expression. He deserved it after dumping that cold water on me.

That was also the day his chakra changed his scent. He no longer stank of rotten eggs but instead he smelt like the earth.

Slowly, I laid my body down on his soft mattress, his blankets covered my body. I hugged on to his pillow, the whiff of his aroma filled my nose. I closed my eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep, with a single tear that dripped down my cheek.

_**A/N: **_**Wow! I can't tell you guys how depressed I am right now. I mean, I love Gaara! Sigh but I decided I'm going to take a break from my usual humorous stories. Please review. The more reviews I get, the sooner I update. **

**In the meantime, please excuse me while I go sit in my little emo corner and mourn my Gaara-kun's death.**

**Sits in corner shouting "Gaara! Why?" **

**T.T**


	4. Chapter 4: bitch

Chapter 4: bitch

_**Disclaimer: **_**I do not own Naruto, or Sakura or Temari or Ino or Hinata or Tenten or sob Gaara or any other character that will appear in my story. Now on with the show! **

**BACON! **

(key)

**Bold – Sakura's inner thoughts**

_Italics – Sakura's thoughts_

* * *

><p>It had been a week since <em>his <em>death.

Depression had now taken total control over my body and mind. I didn't even want to utter his name but yet all I have been doing this last week was stay in his bed. Jiraiya would bring my food up to his room but I would only end up taking a few nibbles before placing the plate back down onto the floor.

My flesh was practically growing into my bones from my starvation. I had lost any hint of colour on my skin. Even my hair had lost its usual bright pink colour and was now a pearly pink shade. I looked like a ghost. A sad little ghost that would never know the meaning of life again.

"Sakura"

I looked up to see Jiraiya leaning against the doorway, his face full of concern.

"You have been sitting in here all week. I think it's time you go outside for some fresh air."

"Why would I want to be anywhere else but here?" I smiled wearily, as I lifted my head off _his_ pillow.

My grandfather sighed and shook his white head sadly, "Do you think Gaara would of...?"

"Don't you dare say his name!" I hissed. It was too soon.

"No Sakura! It's time to face the facts! Gaara is dead, he is never coming back and he wouldn't have wanted you to sit here for the rest of your life!" he shouted angrily.

"He had practically sworn his life to always protect mine. And by being locked inside this room, he is doing exactly that." I shot back.

He scrunched up his face in anger, deforming the red lines painted on his face. He took a step forward and loudly cracked his knuckles. "You are going outside even if I have to drag you out by your hair." He said in a low voice.

I sat up straight, a frown crinkled my forehead. I wasn't going anywhere. This room is my outside, my life and I WILL NEVER LEAVE! My thumb rose towards my mouth and my teeth bit into the skin. The blood slid down my finger, leaving a red trail. I mumbled a few magic words and smirked as soon as I felt a powerful wind brushing against my hair.

"Try it." I dared him, as a purple tornado started twirling around me.

* * *

><p>My feet shuffled across the concrete floor. The scraping sound it made was almost deafening. The citizens walking past stared angrily at me for making such an annoying noise. <em>Blame Jiraiya, <em>I thought bitterly, rubbing a sore spot on my head. _He's the one who made me come outside in the first place. _

I should have known fighting against one of the powerful warlocks in the world would just result in me getting my ass kicked. He had broken through the powerful wind shield that was protecting me and grabbed onto my hair. He then dragged me by my pink locks outside, ignoring my outraged screams. After tossing me out of the castle, he slammed the door shut.

"Don't come back within an hour's time." His muffled voice called out from the other side of the door. "I'm doing this for your own good Sakura."

_What good is this doing for me? I am practically a walking skeleton in shabby clothing, walking down the streets. Passersby can't help but stare at me like I'm some kind of freak. This is in no way good for me or a pretty sight for the people around him! This is not what a grandfather does to his own family! _I grumbled to myself.

I was so busy lodging complaints in my head that I almost didn't notice the black carriage that suddenly halted in front of me, nearly running me over. Startled, I jumped back and glared at the incompetent driver.

The well dressed driver simply shrugged, as if almost ending my life was no big deal.

I glanced towards the draped red curtains inside the window of the coach. They shifted open slightly, only to be hastily closed again. Two pairs of dainty little feet appeared out of the carriage as the door swiftly swayed open. I inwardly groaned. Did I really have to see her utter loathing face right now?

Ino solemnly walked towards me, her typical refined posture was now a slouched hunch. Hinata was trailing behind her, her eyes glued to the ground. My teeth grated against each other in irritation. If she was looking for a fight right now, she was going to get one. Even though the consequences were going to be severe, it would be worth it.

Her baby blue eyes locked with mine as soon as she stopped in front of me. Her eyebrows furrowed as she continued to stare at me. After a minute of silence she exhaled nosily and began to speak.

"I am sorry to hear about your loss. The king sends his condolences and would like to attend the funeral, blah blah blah" she said in a monotonous tone. She then sighed and shook her head, her blonde hair brushed her back. "I can't believe I have to deal with this right now." She grumbled, "I'm supposed to be start with my wedding planning!"

"Wedding?" I asked, confused.

Her eyebrows rose in astonishment, "How could you not know that my father has set up an arranged marriage for me? Everybody knows about it!"

"Oh" I replied.

"I would like to invite you to my wedding." She smirked, "Seeing as that's the closest you will ever get to being married." She rotated towards her coach, commanding Hinata to follow.

I slumped my figure and sank onto the ground. All fighting urges had vanished within me. But that didn't mean that I didn't hate her even more for being disrespectful to _his_ funeral by focusing on her own selfish needs.

"S-Sakura-chan?"

I looked up to see a faint hearted Hinata, clutching onto a single daisy in her pale hands. She bent down to level with me, the corners of her lips rose slightly to form a tiny smile.

"I am sorry that Gaara-kun is..." She swallowed the last word. "H-here you go S-Sakura–chan." She handed me the flower.

"Arigato your highness" I bowed my head respectfully.

"Hinata! Leave the big foreheaded girl alone, I want to go!" Ino's voice screeched from within the carriage.

"Gomenasai Ino-chan!" the royal Hyuga shouted. She turned towards me and tightly grasped my hand, "Please take better care of your health." She stood up and walked to her impatient blonde friend.

"Look on the brightside forehead!" Ino shouted as Hinata climbed into the carriage, "At least Gaara is free from you" She snickered.

As the wagon drove away, my anger seethed. **Time to perform some magic, that whore is going down! **I agreed with my inner self. _This time Ino has gone too far!_ I started mumbling the magic words of a gastro spell.

"She really is a bitch, isn't she?" A voice spoke, interrupting my spell.

"That's putting it mildly" I snarled. "Wait, who said...?" I spun around, only to find out that no one was there.

"Up here"

I glanced up to see a pair of feet dangling over the side of a roof. The feet quickly retracted, disappearing momentarily. Then before I knew what was happening, a figure swooped down and landed in front of me. He was hunched over the ground, his back facing me. The shirt he wore was hugging his abdomen tightly and revealed his well toned back. As he stood upright, he glanced back to look at me. I gasped at his profile. He was the most toothsome male I have ever seen.

"So she's just like every other royal princess." He said, as if he was coming to a conclusion.

His deep voice sent shivers down my spine. Who was this magnificent human being?

"You're new to Konoha, are you not?" I asked.

He nodded as he faced the front.

"That explains why you're not as oblivious to her real personality like everyone else" I rolled my eyes.

The mysterious stranger did not respond. Instead, a moment of silence passed between us.

A soft breeze encircled around us. My pink locks blew forward brushing my face, while the light wind rustled his raven hair. Eventually he strode forward, his feet tapping lightly on the ground.

"Who are you?" I murmured.

He stopped brusquely, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "If you have to ask, then you don't need to know" he said nonchalantly and continued with his stroll.

_**A/N: **_**So any thoughts on whom this mysterious stranger is? That's if I didn't make it obvious enough. I don't know, did I? Oh well you'll find out soon anyway.**

**Gomenasai minna-san! I know my chapter is a little short, the next one I'll try to make it longer.**

**Thank you to all of you have supported my story. I heart you guys.**

**Please please PLEASE review peoplez. Anonymous or not, I don't mind. I'll give you bacon if you do**

**(Sakura: It's a lie!)**

**Until next time, sayonara! **


	5. Chapter 5: tears

Chapter 5: Tears

_**A/N: **_**This chapter will be a little heart wrenching. Well I may not be a very talented author but just in case, I suggest you have a box of tissue next to you while you read this. Or else you'll just have snot and tears all over your keyboard and/or cellphone. (EW!) **

**Otherwise bring along some comfort food! Come on! I'm giving you a reason to indulge yourself in some delicious junk food! Yummy! I myself am sitting here with a bag of cheddar cheese chips at my side and it is so scrumptious. But you know what go great with these chips? BACON!**

**Actually Sakura needs the junk food more than us right now. She's still a little anorexic right now due to her depression, so just keep that in mind.**

**Anyway, please review at the end of the story. Sakura needs all the support she can get right now.**

**I just want to thank: Yuuki-Hime**

** OpaqueGhost**

** XxGoddess AthenaxX**

** Man-chan**

**Thank you guys for reviewing. You have made me one of the happiest authors out there. You guys motivate me to carry on with the story. Here is the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it.**

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Those emerald eyes stared into mine. Her pastel hand seized onto a red glittery brush lying on the dressing table. As I raised my hand towards my hair, so did she and we both attacked our pink tresses with the brush. I smiled at the mirror but I could see that the same smile on her face was fake.

"Today's the day," I told my reflection.

I looked at her for reassurance, for her to say "Don't worry Sakura. Everything will be alright, you'll see." But by looking at her slouched posture, her tired eyes and the sadness that invaded her face, I knew it was close to impossible.

I didn't want to leave my room. I didn't want to leave the castle, just to say my final goodbyes. I just wanted to be fast asleep in my bed. I wanted to be stubborn and not leave my blanketed paradise. I wanted Gaara to push me out of my bed and drag me downstairs by my feet. I wanted him to ignore my infuriated cries as I threaten to kill him. I wanted my usual morning routine to occur just as always. I wanted my normal life back.

But instead I am cursed to go to sleep every night and replay his death scene over and over in my head. The potion, the glass, _the blood._ Then I would wake up screaming, tears dampening my face. Afterwards I would refuse to fall asleep for fear of having to watch the same scene once again. Those dreams will forever haunt me. They would take away any joy in my life. They will always taunt me and say "It's your fault." A single tear slid across my cheek and splashed onto my table. _My fault._

Arms suddenly enveloped around my bony waist and held on to me.

_Gaara? _

With a small gleam of hope I looked up at the mirror to see spiky blonde hair poke up from behind me. Disappointment suddenly strangled my beating heart, causing a deep pain inside my chest. My insane desire of hope crashed and scattered into many pieces. I couldn't hold back my tears anymore. I let them flow from my eyes. Those arms released me from the embrace and spun me around, forcing me to gaze into a pair of pacific blue eyes.

"Don't worry Sakura-chan, everything will be alright, you'll see," Naruto's lips quivered. He himself was trying to hold back the tears. I started crying even more at hearing those words. The words that I wanted to hear so badly, was just proven to be useless. Naruto pulled me in for another hug. I buried my face in his orange blazer and held onto him tightly. I could feel his tears soaking my shoulders.

"Thank you for offering to come with me to the mortician Naruto," I said softly.

He pulled away but his hand still rested on my shoulders. His usual cheerful grin was placed on his visage. "Anything for you Sakura-chan," he said as he wiped the tears on his face.

I smiled gratefully and I linked my arm through his.

"If Gaara saw us this close together, he would have killed me," He joked.

I giggled, "I promise that I would have worn orange to your funeral Naruto."

He grinned and punched the air, "Yosh! My funeral will be most youthful!"

"Okay, now you sound like Lee," I rolled my eyes and beamed.

"At least it made you smile," he blushed.

As we sauntered down the stairs, I realised the castle was unusually quiet. The regular sound of tapping on a keyboard had disappeared.

"Wait here," I told Naruto and dashed off towards Jiraiya's study. I poked my head through the door to check up on him. The thick curtains were drawn closed and no lamps were switched on. The only light in the dark room was the one that emitted through the door way.

Jiraiya sat in front of his desk, a typewriter positioned in front of him. His arms were extended and his fingers were lingering over the buttons. Now doubt he was trying to write one of his infamous Icha Icha novels.

"Oji-sama?" I called out.

But he did not even hear me. Instead he stared at the piece of paper in front of him, trying to decide what to write.

"Naruto and I are going to the mortician to..." I bit my bottom lip. I couldn't even finish my sentence.

Jiraiya gave a faint nod as he continued to stare at the empty page. His shoulders were slumped and his head hung low. Tears started dripping down and splashed onto his desk.

"Gaara," he murmured.

"Oji-sama!" I cried, running up to him to give him a hug. His arms enveloped around me, returning my embrace.

"Everything is going to be okay," I reassured him.

He nodded his head which made his hair tickle my cheek.

"I don't want to say goodbye," he whimpered.

"I know," I said, trying to be strong, "I don't want to either."

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"I said no!" I screamed.

"But you don't understand. It's considered..." a lean man tried to explain. His shrunken, fearful eyes stared at me as he saw the murderous look across my face.

"I don't give a fuck," I spat, "Just put these dam clothes on him!"

The mortician glanced down at the maroon clothing in my hands. He shook his head sadly and refused to take them, "I am sorry but it is protocol that the deceased wears a tuxedo. You know that anything else is considered disrespectful."

"But he has always hated formal wear! By making him wear that bloody tux, you are disgracing my brother!" I argued.

The mortician looked down at the ground, shuffling his feet. His grey-blue hair fell over his eyes as he bowed his head.

I glanced at the wooden coffin on the table. Taking a deep breath, I toddled towards it and gazed at Gaara's peaceful face. His insomniac eyes were closed, revealing the black outline that had always encircled the eyelids. His red hair was combed back into a sleek hairstyle. Scowling, my hand reached for his red locks and ruffled it up, until it looked like how he usually wore it. The puncture wounds on his face were barely visible due to the base that was applied to try and cover it up. "You look like a girl, you know that? First it's the 'eyeliner' and now base," I tittered, despite the tears that had escaped from my eyes. I gently caressed his cheek and gasped at the cold temperature beneath my fingertips.

I felt ashamed as I saw the midnight black tuxedo that covered his body. Naruto's warm hand held onto my shoulder, trying to comfort me.

"I remember he always use to complain when we had to go to an important function and he was forced to wear formal attire." I told him, "I would repeatedly assure him that he looked good in a tux, that all of the woman at the function wouldn't keep their hands off of him." _Including that bitch, Ino, _I silently added. "But he was never one for attention. He preferred to be alone, when he wasn't with me."

I stroked the clothing in my hands, the cottony texture tickled my palms. This was his favourite outfit. A chocolate brown shirt that had netting sticking out underneath the sleeves. Gaara would usually tie a white scarf diagonally across his abdomen. He also loved the matching brown pants that helped complete the look. This was his elementer training outfit. I know he would have appreciated being buried in these garments.

I turned back to the mortician trying to hold back the rest of my tears, "Please, I know its protocol but are you sure you can't let him wear something else?" I sniffled.

"Gomenasai, but I can't," he said, avoiding looking me in the eye.

I looked at the clothing in my hands and handed Gaara's favourite shirt to the mortician. "Would you at least put this underneath the tux?"

He looked at the chemise and considered it for moment. Then with a friendly smile he nodded.

"Arigato! Arigato!" I squeaked as I started crying.

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The clouds towered above us and were shaded with a dark unwanted gray. The day had darkened as the thick clouds blocked out the sun. Thunder could be heard in the far distance, warning us that it was going to rain. It was the perfect day for a funeral.

Jiraiya and I were waiting in our secluded training area for the attendees who have yet to arrive. The grave had been dug and was patiently waiting to be filled. I sat upon the rock that had shielded me from the glass explosion on that day. The deadly shards were still dispersed on the ground, glinting in their victory of taking away a life.

A sudden gush of wind flew past me, announcing my friend's presence.

"Hi Lee," I murmured softly.

"Hello Sakura-san," he greeted, "May I join you on this boulder?" After giving him a swift nod, he took a seat next to me on the ash grey rock.

"I'm sorry I didn't come to see you earlier. I just thought you needed the space," he whispered. His face hung in shame, as if he was wondering if he made the right decision.

"It's alright Lee-san, I appreciate it," I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you for attending," I said giving him a hug.

The elf gave a small smile but his normally pointy, perky ears drooped as the sadness washed over him.

We gazed at the green forest together. The forest gave off a gloomy aura. Shadows crowded the green land, removing all life like presence from the plants. Trees bowed their heads in sorrow. Their leaves danced gracefully to the sad song the wind seemed to play.

"Youthful Mother Nature has come to send her condolences," Lee stated, noticing the same effects as I was. I nodded in agreement and silently thanked her.

Soon all the attendees started arriving and wearing the respectful dark garments. The lighting from the grey clouds shone upon me as I received condolences. The last guest to arrive was King Yamanaka Inoichi and Princess Ino. The King was disguised in a navy blue cloak to conceal his identity from the strangers on the street. He came up to me and grasped my hand. His blue-green eyes stared deeply into my own.

"I'm really sorry for your loss, Sakura-san."

"Thank you your highness," I bowed my head, "Thank you so much for gracing us with your presence."

He smiled and headed towards Jiraiya, leaving me alone with Ino. She nervously looked at the ground and twiddled her thumbs.

"He will be missed," She whispered softly before dashing off in the opposite direction.

"Sakura, it's time." Jiraiya's deep voice boomed from behind me.

I gradually nodded my head and trailed after him to fetch the wooden coffin. My hands trembled as I touched the sandpapered wood and helped carry it to the grave dug in the ground. As we lifted the lid open, depression engulfed me as my eyes kept darting towards the lifeless being. I wanted to cry all over again but I forced myself to keep the tears in my eyes.

Naruto, Lee, Jiraiya, King Yamanaka Inoichi, Ino, Hinata, Temari, Ten-ten and I stood around a rectangular ditch that was dug deep into the ground. Jiraiya and I gently removed Gaara's body from his coffin and placed him inside the mini sand cave. The wind blew, ruffling his hair. I think it was Mother Nature's way of welcoming him to Earth's bosom.

As we looked at his corpse surrounded by sand, Jiraiya leaned towards me and whispered, "At least he looks peaceful being enclosed by his element."

"Yes, he does," I said, wiping the tears that were escaping from my eyes.

Clearing his throat, Jiraiya gazed at the attendees. "Thank you all for taking a moment of your time to support us in our time of need. Sakura and I deeply appreciate you being here." He smiled wearily at the audience before continuing with his speech, "Gaara was not the friendliest person. In fact, he was a very violent child. But despite his faults he really had a heart of gold and he would never hesitate to protect those who he cared for," his dark eyes winked at my direction. "Both my grandchildren have lost their parents from a young age. Now it is time for Gaara to be reunited with his loving parents, although he will surely be missed by us. Perhaps we shall meet him again where he can once again terrorise us with his death glare." The audience gave a slight chuckle. "If we could all just bow our heads and have a moment of silence," Jiraiya's voice squeaked. He bit his bottom lip to stop himself from crying.

Everyone's heads bobbed down as they closed their eyes. The only noise that could be heard was the sound of the wind singing its sad song.

"Sakura, would you like to say a few words?" Jiraiya asked, breaking the respectful silence.

I nodded. Then after having everyone's eyes on me I spoke out in a broken voice, "Thank you once again for attending. Like my Oji-sama has said, Gaara was an ass. He was overprotective of me and never allowed me to live my own life. He was rude, unfriendly, unpleasant to be around and a overall aggressive retard. But at the same time, he always made sure I didn't make the stupidest mistakes. And he was always made sure that I would never get hurt. I knew I could always count on him," I smiled as images of Gaara flashed in my mind.

I started picturing his serious intimidating face that he had when he was watching over me. I imagined that arrogant smirk he would always have when I fuck something up. That magnificent springtime scent that will no longer touch my sense of smell. The sound of his deep voice will never ring in this world again. And to think that I might not ever see those cerulean eyes again, it just makes it so hard not to cry.

"In the end, he was the greatest brother I could ever ask for. I only wish he could have stayed with me until old age. But unfortunately," My body trembled at the thought, "it's never going to happen. I just hope I can make it through the rest of my life knowing my brother is never coming back." I whimpered.

I grabbed a shovel and turned towards Gaara's grave, "And it's with these final words that I would like to say, Nii-chan, I hope that we can meet again someday in a happier place. I hope you know that you will always be alive inside my heart. And I hope that wherever you are right now, you can still watch over me and guide me." I sobbed, while slowly showering the sand over his corpse.

It was at that moment that the sky started crying along with me as the raindrops started falling from the heavens. The audience around me fell silent and solemnly looked down at the ground. At the corner of my eye, I saw that Ino's lips were quivering and her eyes were leaking. As she caught my gaze, she spun around making sure no one could see her devastated state.

Naruto and Lee stood beside me as I finished burying Gaara.

"Kuso!" Naruto cried in anger, "Why did this have to happen to him now? He may have been intimidating but he was still a good guy." Naruto grinded his teeth as shed his tears.

"He will forever remain youthful in my heart," wept Lee.

I took a hold of their hands and gently squeezed them to say thanks. My eyes were glued to the heap of sand before me. _I did it Naruto. _I thought solemnly, _I'm the reason he is dead. As for why it had to happen, I'm still trying to figure that out for myself. _

The clouds above us clashed and erupted in thunder. And despite the fact that it was raining, nobody left the funeral. We all stood around the grave, paying Gaara our last respects.

**THE END**

_**A/N: **_**Just Kidding! There's more to come! 5 more chapters to be exact.**

**Want to hear something freaky? So I was busy thinking about Rock Lee coming to the funeral and what he would say to Sakura, and then his theme song started playing on my computer! WTF!**

**Also, right now I am so depressed it's not even funny. I had made a playlist full of sad songs so that I could stay in a miserable mood and finish this chapter. Ugh, please remind me to NEVER EVER write a tragic story ever again! I prefer goofy humorous stories. I take my hat off to those of you who enjoy writing these types of tales. Although, now that I've read through this chapter, it doesn't seem as gloomy as I wanted to be. And I'm not quite sure how I can make it more heartbreaking. But I swear if you could see the scene that's playing in my head, you'd be depressed too!**

**Anyway, pretty please review. It sucks having people read your story but you don't get any feedback: (**


	6. Chapter 6: brothers

Chapter 6: Brothers

_**A/N: **_**Ola! ****Konichiwa! ****Hoe gaan dit****? Sup! ****Bon juré! And so on and so forth.**

**Yes! My first double digit review! Thank you guys soooo much, especially Yuuki-Hime and OpaqueGhost.**

**Although I feel so bad Yuuki, I'm sorry for making you cry. I didn't mean it, honest. Well this will be the LAST time Gaara dies in one of my stories! I heart him too much to do it again. Well that and OpaqueGhost keeps threatening to steal my bacon if I don't resurrect him.**

**Waaaaaaah! She would deprive me of my food! I'll wither away into nothingness! **

**Speaking of which, I just want to remind you Sakura is anorexic. So just remember that otherwise, what is the point of me reminding you?**

_**Disclaimer: **_**YES! I OWN NARUTO!**

**Naruto: Eh, nani? No you don't! Masashi Kishimoto owns me.**

**Toonfanatic5: Uh, no he doesn't. I...uh, stole you? **

**Naruto: -.-**

**Toonfanatic5: Alright you got me. When did you become so smart?**

**Naruto: I will become the future Hokage so therefore I am a genius! Dattebayo!**

**Toonfanatic5: sweat drop uh yeah sure, whatever you say Naruto. Ok, let's get on with chapter!**

**Bold – Sakura's inner thoughts**

_Italics- thoughts_

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"Ramen. Ramen. Ramen. RAMEN!" Naruto licked his lips as he continued murmuring the name of his favourite dish. His gentle hand held tightly onto my wrist as he dragged me towards Ichiraku Ramen Bar.

"Naruto, I'm not really hungry right now," I tried to explain. My depression had consumed any need for food.

"Nope, we are going to try and get your appetite back. If there's anyone who can do that, it's Teuchi. He makes the best ramen in the entire world! Dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly, but I could still hear the worry in his voice. A faint smile tugged at my lips. I really was grateful for Naruto's support.

"Even so, I just don't feel like going out right now."

I saw a hint of concern in his profile.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," I reassured him, giving him a wide phony grin.

Naruto stopped abruptly, making me bump into him.

"Oof!" I grunted, "What the hell Naruto?"

His back faced me as his silence answered my question. His grip tightened around my small wrist, his hand was almost crushing my bones.

"Ouch! Naruto, you're hurting me!" I exclaimed trying to free my hand. He took no pity in my pain and made sure I couldn't escape his grasp.

He suddenly started walking towards the nearest store, dragging me along with him. He shoved my head towards a window, forcing me to gaze at the clear surface.

"Sakura-chan, look at yourself," he said sternly, pointing towards my reflection.

I gazed at the pinkette staring back at me. Her figure had grown even leaner, the skin shrunk further into the bones.

"You need to start taking better care of yourself!" he growled. "I know you miss him but..." he took a deep breath, trying to calm his temper.

I continued staring at the horrific wiry stature in the window. My dull pink hair contrasted against my dry, yellow skin. Dark rings formed underneath my eyes. _Is that what I really look like?_ I closed my eyes to escape from the ghastly sight before me. As the darkness befell over my eyes, I became aware of my body's senses. My stomach groaned in hunger as it consumed any fat in my body. Weakness and tiredness was taking its toll on my body. My blond friend was right. I needed food urgently.

I turned around to face Naruto. I stared deeply into those pacific blue eyes filled with trepidation. I reached for his free hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Let's go eat some ramen. My treat," I smiled.

He grinned and looked somewhat relieved. His grip loosened and my wrist was finally set free.

"Thank goodness. I didn't have enough money to pay for the both of us," Naruto chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.

An irritated twitch befell on one of my eyes, "BAKA!" I screamed before clonking the blonde on his head.

"Ah, Sakura-chaaaan," he whimpered, clutching onto his injured cranium.

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"Itadakimasu!" we simultaneously chanted. We snapped the chopsticks apart before digging into our steaming hot bowls of ramen. The taste of noodles, pork, seaweed and soy sauce pleasured my taste buds. It felt good to finally eat again.

After gulping down my fifth bowl of ramen, I gasped for air "Naruto, I'm full," I said as I patted my bulged belly and smiled in satisfaction. Naruto chuckled as he finished his seventh bowl.

"Ah, Sakura-chan. I'm happy to see you finally have some nutrients in your stomach. Dattebayo!" he then turned towards Teuchi, licking his lips. "Old man, give me another bowl!"

"Naruto, I'm not made of money you know!" I scowled.

A familiar silhouette outside the open bar suddenly caught my eye. _That figure. That hair. Could it be? _I wondered. Anxious to go see if it was the mysterious stranger, I slapped down the money onto the counter and excused myself, "Sorry Naruto I have to go."

"Eh! Wait Sakura-chan! I don't have enough money to pay for the extra two bowls I ordered! Kuso!" Naruto panicked but I ignored him.

I rushed outside to look for that silhouette but it had disappeared. It was night time in the kingdom and the only light in the streets were from the burning lamps. I saw no one walking in the dimly lit pavement.

Without thinking, I ran in the direction the figure had gone. I didn't know why but I just had to see him again. As I ran, I could feel my legs start wobbling. I was still too weak to do anything athletic but I didn't care. _I need to see him._

I stopped running as soon as I saw someone stumbling in the streets. He kept tripping over his own two feet, mumbling senseless words to himself. He wore a wig that spiked up at the end.

My body slouched as disappointment washed over it. _Nothing but a drunken idiot, _I sighed.

"Looking for someone?"

"Eep!" I squeaked as I jumped in fright. I spun around, looking the mysterious stranger in his onyx eyes. I placed my hand over my heart, trying to calm its racing speed. It was either racing because I was frightened or because _he_ was standing before me.

"What? Are you stalking me or something?" I bellowed.

"Hn. Looks like you were the one who was trailing someone."

"I...Uh...No, I was just going out for a night run," my voice trembled. I couldn't really tell him I was out looking for him. Stalker much?

He eyed me up and down. I blushed. _Does he find me attractive?_

"Hn. You've lost a lot more weight. You look terrible."

My eye twitched as I clenched my fist in anger. "Well excuse me for having a horrible tragedy befall me and it made me too depressed to eat!" I shouted.

The stranger shoved his hands deep into his pockets. He looked at me carefully in silence for a while. "Yeah, I heard about that. I'm...sorry," he finally said.

He spun around, looking at the road ahead of him. "I'm going for a walk," he grunted before slowly walking off.

_Why was he telling me that? _I wondered. _Does he want me to join him?_

He stopped and glanced over his shoulder, "Are you coming?"

"H-Hai!" I stammered, shocked that he wanted me to tag along. I forced my legs to run and catch up to the toothsome stranger. I slowed down as I stood by his side and matched his pace. "So, what IS your name?" I asked, curious.

He simply smirked and stayed silent. "**What the hell is this guy's problem?**"My inner screamed in frustration.

We continued walking together, side by side and not saying a word. I gazed at him in the corner of my eyes. The moonlight shone brightly on his features. His raven locks glistened as the moon beams stroked his hair. "**He is so fucking hot!**"

"So...uhm, where are we going?" I asked him.

"Hn."

"Are you ever going to tell me anything?" I rolled my eyes.

"Hn."

"It's a good thing you're attractive," I mumbled.

"Hn?"

"Oh nothing," I blushed.

We soon stopped at a coffee shop. He opened the door and waited for me to enter the building. _At least he's a gentleman,_ I commented in my head_._ I stepped inside and was immediately greeted by a young waitress with long ginger hair.

"Table for two?" she asked, while tucking two menus under her arms.

She lead us to our seats in the far back of the restaurant. As we were seated, she handed us our menus. She lustfully eyed out the dark haired stranger and gave him a heart warming smile. _Bitch, that so rude! _I scowled, _I know this isn't a date but you could at least back off!_

"I'll be back to take your order," she said sweetly, not taking her eye off my date.

**Hah! So it is a date! **_No it is not date! It just slipped out! I don't even know his name for fuck sakes._

**Why do you think he asked you to join him for a walk to a restaurant? **_I don't know! _**Well then ask him!**

I looked at the sexy male in front of me and took a deep breath. "So why did you want me to come with you to this restaurant?" I asked.

He simply shrugged his broad shoulders and stared down at the menu.

"You know I'm really sick and tired of you not telling me anything. For all I know, I took a walk with a psychopath!" I scowled, folding my arms.

"Then why did you," he smirked, looking up from his menu.

"Uh, I...uhm," I mumbled as I blushed for the third time.

"May I take your order?" the ginger headed waitress interrupted. A pencil and a tiny notepad rested in her hands.

I sighed with relief and silently thanked her for the interruption. "Yes, I'll just have a cup of filter coffee please." I asked, while handing her my menu.

She nodded and turned towards the mysterious male. "And for you honey?" she asked sweetly.

"Hn, same as her," he grunted, handing her his menu.

When the waitress left, the sexy stranger gazed at me. His emotionless onyx eyes studied me very carefully. Feeling uncomfortable, I looked down at my lap. My hands nervously fumbled with my red t-shirt.

"Tell me about him."

"What?"

"You're brother," he said, linking his fingers together and placing his mouth on them.

"You don't tell me anything, so why should I reveal something about myself," I pouted.

"Because you need to talk to someone about the grief you're experiencing. I can see you have hardly spoken about him, so maybe it's time to change that," he said, keeping an impassive facade.

I bit my lower lip, not wanting to say anything to an unfamiliar person. But at the same time, I wanted to talk about nii-san for the first time since his funeral. He was right. It's time to have his name pass my lips once again.

I looked around at the empty eating place and smiled as a specific memory came to mind.

"I remember this onetime..."

_Flashback_

I peered nervously at the entrance of the cafe. My foot anxiously tapped on the floor as I waited for my date to arrive. My hands apprehensively tugged at my figure hugging black dress. I took a deep breath and exhaled noisily, trying to calm myself down. I closed my eyes and slumped down in the red leathery seat. The sounds of ice clinking in glasses, silverware scraping against the porcelain plates and the consistent chattering of the customers filled my ears.

"Sakura? Un."

I opened my emerald eyes and gazed at a tall male standing before me. He had long blond hair that was tied up in a high pony tail and a lengthy fringe that covered half his face.

I immediately sat up straight and accidently bumped my knee against the table.

"Hi Deidara," I said cheerfully, trying my best to ignore the pain that was shooting up my leg.

The blond haired male sat in the seat opposite me. He grinned at me, "Sorry I'm late. Un. It's a habit I guess. I'm always late so that I can annoy my best friend Sasori. He can't stand people making him wait. Un."

He blew at his golden fringe. "You didn't wait long, did you? Un," he asked.

"N-no, Deidara-kun. I-I just got here," I giggled nervously while rubbing the back of my head. "**Actually I've been waiting for about half an hour, asshole!**"

He leaned back into his seat and chuckled, "That's good."

His visible bright blue eye stared at me in silence.

"What?" I asked as I felt my cheeks redden.

"Nothing. I just think you're beautiful, is all. Un," he said, smiling, "Thanks for making an effort to go on a date with me. I know it can be...quite difficult. Un."

"You have no idea," I rolled my eyes, as I thought about Gaara.

"How did you escape from his watchful eye?" Deidara leaned forward, curious.

"I just told him I had to go to a formal event. I told him he could come with but then he has to wear a tuxedo. He hates dressing formally," I tittered.

"Ah, so is that why you're so overdressed," he smirked, eyeing me up and down.

"I...uh, h-had to so t-that I, uh..." I stammered.

"I like it. You look like a rare precious painting. Un. And I love art," he purred.

_Flashback interruption_

"What does this have to do with your brother?" the raven haired stranger asked impatiently, sipping on his coffee.

"Be patient. I was getting there," I rolled my eyes. I added sugar to my cup of java. While stirring the cup, I continued with my story, "So anyway, as I was saying. Deidara and I were chatting while having lunch. We got to know each other a little better and we instantly connected. It was my first date and the feelings felt amazing..."

_Back to the flashback_

I leaned back into my seat, clutching onto my sides as I couldn't stop laughing.

"N-no w-wait...That's not the best part..." said Deidara in between his laughs.

"S-stop! I can't b-b-breath!" I gasped as I continued laughing. I closed my eyes, waiting for the laughter to die down.

As I opened my eyes again, Deidara was no longer sitting in front of me. Instead he had slid in the same seat as me. I could feel his heat transferring towards me as our bodies touched. His hand reached out and tucked a strand of my pink hair behind my ear. His fingers then started brushing against my cheek. His eyes locked with mine.

"Fine, I won't tell you what happened," he whispered, as his head inched closer to mine. "Maybe I can tell you the rest of the story on our next date? Un."

I could feel my heart racing as his head moved closer and his lips almost touched mine.I closed my eyes, waiting for our two lips to meet and to have my first taste of the opposite sex. My first kiss.

I felt his cool lips brush against mine for a second but then was immediately pulled away. Confused and hurt that I didn't receive my proper kiss, I opened my eyes. They widened in surprise as I saw a blur of red and yellow flash before me.

"Gaara!" I screamed.

My brother had Deidara pinned onto the floor. He then repeatedly punched Deidara in the face. Blood dripped down the blonde's nose.

"Gaara, get off of him!" I yelled, jumping off my seat.

I tried prying him off my date but I was unsuccessful. Instead Gaara's arm pushed me out of the way, knocking me into a nearby table. Fortunately, this gave Deidara an opening to attack my brother. He threw Gaara off of him and immediately sprang to his feet. My sibling glared at him, rage was evident in his cerulean eyes.

Deidara wiped away the blood that was dripping down his nose and gave a cocky grin. It was as if he found this whole fight rather amusing. Outraged, Gaara lunged for the smirking blond. He raised his fist, ready to hit Deidara's face once again but the blonde dodged. Instead, he was able to punch my sibling in his stomach. Gaara staggered backwards but quickly caught his breath.

Once more he lunged for my date, trying to land a punch on him. Deidara dodged again but tripped over an empty chair. He fell down onto the ground with a loud thud. My hot headed sibling took this opportunity and towered over the fallen blonde, ready to deliver more blows. But Deidara quickly recovered and kicked Gaara in the shins, forcing my brother to bend down. Deidara then raised his leg even higher and his feet struck Gaara's chin. A loud crunch was heard by all ears in the restaurant.

My brother fell onto the floor, cringing in pain. _That's what you get for over reacting, _I shook my head sadly. I know it was a mean thing to think but he seriously pissed me off. Stalking me? Attacking my date? What the hell? This was a bit much, even for him.

I suddenly felt fingers intertwining with mine. I turned my head to the side to see Deidara standing next to me. He gave a victorious grin, despite having received a horrible beating.

"Let's get out of here before he gets up. Un," he said, tugging me towards the exit.

I looked at my unconscious brother on the floor. _I'm sorry Gaara-kun, _I thought as I let my date drag me towards to the glass doors.

"DON'T...TOUCH...HER!" his voice rasped.

We both turned around to see an enraged Gaara breathing heavily. He had risen to his feet, his eyes widened in anger and a murderous intent was painted on his face. Crimson red liquid flowed from his injured jaw, making him look even more intimidating. My eyes darted towards his hand that was curled into a claw. Sand coiled around his fingers like a pet snake.

_No! _I gasped in horror.

"H-he's an e-elementer?" Deidara's eyes enlarged in fear.

Before we knew what was happening, Gaara extended his arm out towards the blond. The sand flew off his hand and onto Deidara. My brother then started swinging his arms around in a graceful manner, commanding the sand to do his bidding. The rough earth flew around Deidara, slicing his face. He fell to his knees, screaming in pain but Gaara showed no mercy. Sand suddenly twirled around Deidara's throat, slowly scratching and strangling him. His body was lifted into the air by the rough earth as it gradually tightened its grip.

Without thinking, I raised my thumb towards my mouth and bit into the fleshy skin. I slammed the palm of my hand onto the tiled floor. "Darkus Enitica," I bellowed.

I looked up to see dark shadow like creatures, slithering on the ground. They made their way towards my brother. I kept mumbling the magic words as I watched them shoot up from ground and wrap themselves around Gaara. They tightened their grip, leaving bruises and tried to drag him onto the floor.

He immediately stopped concentrating on his sand attack on Deidara and tried to pry the vicious shadows off of him. His hand would grab onto one of them and yank it off his body. But the shadows would then grow in length and re-attach themselves to his figure.

"Sakura! Get these fucking things off of me!" he screamed in outrage.

I ignored his demand and turned my back on him. I looked worriedly at Deidara who was still floating in the air. I grabbed his ankle and pulled him down. But there was still sand coiling around his throat, choking him. I quickly scanned the room for any kind of liquid that would disintegrate the sand. My eyes immediately spotted a glass of water on a nearby table. I pushed past the audience that had gathered to watch the fight. I seized the tall glass and dashed towards Deidara. I splashed the cold water onto his throat, soaking the sand. The rough earth let go of its grip and he fell onto the floor. Deidara gasped for air, desperately trying to regain oxygen back into his lungs.

"You ok?" I asked, eyeing his now red throat.

He nodded in response. We both gazed at Gaara who was trying to escape from the shadows that were imprisoning him. The more he struggled the more livid he became.

"You better go. He's going to be fuming when I release him." I growled.

He nodded once more before dashing out the door.

I sighed as I watched him leave. My very first date and my idiot of a brother had ruined it. I turned towards Gaara, glaring at him.

"Return!" I commanded the shadows. They obeyed and released Gaara from their grasp.

He rose from the cold, hard ground, panting heavily.

"How dare you use magic on your own flesh and blood!" he snarled.

"How dare you ruin my first date, you fucking prick!" I shot back.

"I was trying to protect you!"

"How is this protecting me? You just humiliated me in front of everyone here, beat up an innocent man and do I even need to mention you abusing your powers!"

He did not respond, instead he gave me his infamous death stare.

"Don't you glare at me," I said, wagging my finger.

"Uh, excuse me. B-but I'm g-going to have t-to ask you to l-leave," a male, presumably the manager, stammered.

Gaara redirected his glare at the timid male. The manager squeaked and backed away slowly.

"Let's go," I said, heading towards the entrance.

Gaara commanded his sand to return to a jar inside his pocket and trailed after me in silence.

"I hate you," I spat.

"Hn," he grunted.

_End of flashback_

"I didn't talk to him for a month after that," I said, feeling depressed. "He acted like it didn't faze him but I could see he was hurt." Liquid started soaking my clothes as the tears fell from my eyes. My hair covered my face as I looked down at my lap. I clawed at my legs as shame and anger took over my emotions. "Why did I have to over react? He just wanted to protect me from getting my heart broken. And now that time that I could of spent with my brother has been wasted." I gritted my teeth. My hot tears bathed my cheeks. Why did I have to be so stubborn and hot headed?

"Sasuke."

"Huh?" I looked up, confused.

"My name is Sasuke," He said in a monotonous tone.

I gave a weary smile, grateful that he was trying to take my mind off of Gaara, "I'm Sakura."

"Hn. I know" he said, looking away.

"Oh yeah." I nervously giggled, remembering I mentioned my name in my flashback. I wiped the tears from my face.

But then I turned serious for a moment, "Why are you taking an interest in me when you don't even know me?"

He locked eyes with me for about a second before looking down at the table. He frowned and clenched both hands into a fist.

"My brother too, is deceased." He mumbled.

"Oh...I'm so..." I stopped. He doesn't seem like the kind of person who wants to be pitied. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Hn," he replied, looking away.

_I'll take that as a no. _I glanced at the window behind him and saw that the night had grown even darker. "It's getting late, I should probably go," I sniffled. I reached for my purse and started digging for money to pay for my coffee. _Kuso! Naruto-baka made me spend all my money on his stupid ramen! _

"Don't worry, I'll pay," he said, staring at me.

"A-arigato Sasuke. I'll pay you back, I promise. I'm just a little short on cash at the moment."

He flicked his wrist in the air, dismissing my promise. I got up from my seat and stood next to him. I stuck out my frail hand, expecting him to shake it. "It was nice to meet you Sasuke-kun," I beamed.

He gripped my hand and pulled me down towards him. His free hand then seized the back of my head, pushing me closer to his face. Then without warning, he kissed me. His tongue slipped inside my mouth, allowing me to taste him. I felt so confused and shocked but I returned his kiss with our tongues sliding against each other.

When he finally released me and pulled away, I staggered backwards. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks as I stared at him in astonishment. "W-what was th-that for?" I stuttered.

"I just thought you deserved your first kiss," he smirked.

"Baka! How do you know I haven't had my first kiss yet?"

He stayed silent and continued smirking. He took out his wallet and slapped the money down onto the table. He then pushed past me and walked off. But just before he disappeared out the door, he stopped and glanced back at me. "I'll see you around, Sa-ku-ra," he purred and then headed out the door.

I was left to stand there and wallow in my confusion. _What the hell just happened?_

"Is he your boyfriend?" a female voice asked. I turned to my left to see the waitress, giving me a friendly smile. But jealousy flickered in her green eyes, betraying her smile. "No, he's not my boyfriend. Truth be told, I don't know what he is," I said. I sighed heavily and stalked off back to my castle.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Later that night, while I was lying in my bed, the kiss replayed in my mind. My lips wouldn't stop tingling. His taste still lingered in my mouth. It was then that it finally dawned upon me...

**Chhhhyyyyyaaaaaa! My first kiss! Shānnarō! **

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**A/N: And that was chapter 6! I hope it made you all go 'awwwww' when you read about the kiss. Anyway, hit that review button and tell me what you think! Oh and I need to ask you guys something, do you think I keep everyone in character in my story? I'm not sure O.o**

**Mwahahaha! I totally made Gaara kick Deidara's ass! I'm sorry fans of Deidara, but I HATE him for attacking Gaara-kun! I blame him for Gaara's death in Shippūden. DIE BITCH, DIE! **

**Truth be told, I'm not a fan of Sasuke or Sakura either. But I find it fun to write stories for their characters. **

**Anyhow, let me know if you are enjoying my story by hitting that review button! **

**Arigato minna-san! =D **


	7. Chapter 7: dates

Chapter 7: Dates

_**A/N: **_**Woah! I just remembered something! I want to tell you guys how I was inspired to write this story. **

**So I was visiting my uncle's house for the weekend. They have a baby that's about 1 and half years old. I usually sleep in her bedroom whenever I visit and on her door, she has a sticker of the Disney princesses; Ariel, Belle, Sleeping beauty (Rose/Aurora), Cinderella and Snow White. Then I compared the Naruto girls with each princess. i.e.**

**Ariel – Sakura**

**Belle – Tenten**

**Rose – Temari**

**Cinderella – Ino**

**Snow White – Hinata**

**Then the idea of Sakura being a witch came up. And I originally was going to make her evil but then other ideas came up and that's how I came up with ****Magic ain't so Magical****. **

**Is that twisted? Taking inspiration from a baby's room and turning it into a gory tale with death? Lol, I feel sick and twisted. But the story isn't **_**that**_** bad so I think I'm safe...for now.**

_**Disclaimer: **_**Well done Masashi Kishimoto for creating such a brilliant manga! (Which I don't own T.T) All hail Naruto! Shānnarō! **

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"Thank you deary, have a nice day," The elderly woman said as she took my money.

"You too," I beamed. I grabbed the bags from the counter and walked out of Ol' Granny Witch.

My arms cramped from the heavy load that rested in them. My inventory at home was practically empty, so I nearly had to buy everything at the store. The brown bags obscured my vision, so I had to rely purely on instinct to find my way home. I also had to count on other people to get out of my way.

While I ambled my way back home, I allowed my mind to reminisce in memories. I started thinking about Gaara again. If he were here, he would have helped carry my purchases in silence. He's mood would have worsened by now because I took my sweet time at the store. He would then channel his frustration into his eyes and glare at any male who dared to look at me. I giggled at the thought of his impudence.

A pain in my arm pulled me away from my thoughts. I stopped to inspect the damage and saw that a small slit was inserted in the fleshy tissue. A small amount of blood oozed from the injury. I glanced back to see a brown, broken beer bottle lying on a window sill. A splash of blood dripped from the jagged edge.

My eyes widened as looked at it. Panic and fear gained control of my body.

_The glass._

I started running forward, away from that bottle that reminded me.

_The blood._

I could feel the stinging sensation on my arm. The blood trickled down, staining the skin.

_Gaara..._

Tears of hysteria fell from my eyes as the whole scene replayed in my brain.

The glass piercing the skin. The blood. There was just so much blood. The collapsed body of...

My running stopped as I collided into another person. The impact threw me off my feet and I crashed onto the ground, skidding across the floor. The concrete earth grazed my skin. My ingredients flew out of their bags and scattered across the floor.

Ignoring the pain, I started picking up my purchases and placing them back inside the paper bags.

"Gomenasi! I-I wasn't w-watching where I-I was g-going." I sobbed, my back turned to whoever I was apologising to. I wiped the tears with the back of my hand before continuing picking my stuff up.

"Hn. You're annoying."

I glanced back. "S-Sasuke?" I stammered in surprise.

I quickly turned away and picked up the remaining things that was scattered on the floor. I could feel his onyx eyes examining me. He didn't even bother to help me to recollect my possessions.

As I placed my final item in the bag, I quickly wiped all the liquid from my face. I picked up all the bags and carefully balanced them in my arms. I spun around, giving Sasuke a phony grin. "Gomen Sasuke-kun," I apologised.

He continued to analyze me with those emotionless eyes and stayed silent.

I looked down and shifted my feet uncomfortably, "Well, I better go. These bags are heavy and I need to get home."

I suddenly felt the bags being lifted from my arms. I looked up in surprise to see Sasuke holding onto the bags. "Which way do you live," he grunted. I awkwardly pointed in the direction of my castle. He then ambled forward in the pointed direction. Even though I was taken aback by his generosity, I slowly trailed behind him.

We walked together in an uncomfortable silence. I had already concluded by now that Sasuke was the type of person who did not like to have a conversation.

"So what are you doing here?" I asked, determined to break the silence.

"Helping you carry your things," he replied. I looked up at him to see if he was making a joke but he kept his usual facade. Not even a hint of a smirk was placed on his lips. Looking at those lips, I remembered that evening that happened 2 weeks ago. I blushed and quickly looked away.

"Thanks."

"Your health seems to be restored," he commented.

"Oh, yeah it is. I've been looking after myself lately," I beamed as I glanced at my figure that had returned to normal. Even my skin's previous yellow pigment had faded into my usual creamy colour. The pearly pink locks of my hair had also blossomed back to its original bubblegum pink. I was proud of myself. Despite still feeling guilty and depressed over Gaara's death, I was able to still pull through. If I had died of starvation, the only thing I would have accomplished was disgracing him.

I looked at Sasuke again at the corner of my eye. I examined his facade that was devoid from all emotion. I wondered if he was always like this, even before his brother's death. Did he have close friends that helped him through the trauma? What had happened to his brother in the first place?

"It's rude to stare you know," said Sasuke, interrupting my thoughts.

"Tch. You're one to talk. You keep staring at me like I am some sort of experiment," I pouted, folding my arms.

He simply smirked in response. Fuck him and his arrogant persona.

Upon reaching my home, I unlocked the gigantic doors and pushed them open. I then hesitantly lead him towards my bedroom where everything was to be stored. I blushed as I trudged upstairs and headed towards my room. I know he could have left them in the kitchen and I would have just carried them upstairs myself but they are so heavy.

"You can just leave my things on my bed," I pointed towards the rectangular shaped mattress covered in a pink duvet with a cherry blossom design. I refused to look at him as I felt embarrassed. He grunted and carefully laid the bags on my bed.

"Uh, would you like some tea or something?" I asked, still avoiding eye contact.

"I have to go," he said huskily and pushed past me. "I'll see myself out."

"Arigato Sasuke-kun, for carrying my purchases," I called out from behind him.

"Hn," He grunted and walked downstairs.

**Rude little bugger, isn't he? **_Shut up, he's just misunderstood is all._** It wouldn't kill him to be friendlier. **_Hey, he carried the heavy paper bags for us didn't he? That's pretty decent of him._** But why?****Do you think he has a crush on us? **_A crush on me, you mean. No wait. I don't think he has any sort of feelings toward me. He probably just wants to be around someone who had the same traumatic experience as him. _**Then, why did he kiss you? **_He needed comfort and for some strange reason, he figured he would find it in us. _**Whatever you say Buttercup. **_Weren't you the one who always made excuses for him? _**I guess we're just fickle.**

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The moonlight shone brightly upon my face. The cool breeze played with my hair, making it tickle my face. I watched the wind create ripples in the river before me, blurring any reflections on the water's surface. My back leaned against a tree, allowing me to relax. Even though I was wearing thin clothing, I felt so calm and serene.

I loved coming to the training area at night. The moonlight and the darkness work well together by casting their colours towards the earth. It creates a tranquil atmosphere that helps me come to terms of the tragedy. Although I deliberately take the long route to get here and carefully avoid the...murder scene.

I shuddered at the thought and quickly pushed it out of my mind. Taking a deep breath, I continued watching the nature scene before me. I closed my eyes, listening to the wind sing.

"You know you are going to catch a cold sitting out here? And don't expect me to sit by your bedside until you are feeling better."

My eyes fluttered open and I gazed into the tree above me. The face of Sasuke was looking down at me, an arrogant smirk placed upon his lips. He was perched upon a thick branch, his legs dangling in the air.

"S-Sasuke? What are you doing here?" I asked

"Hn. What, you don't own this place," he grunted.

He jumped off the tree and somersaulted into the air, then gracefully landed in front of me.

"Humph. Show off," I rolled my eyes.

He seated himself next to me, "May I join you?" he asked.

"No but I see you are going to do it anyway," I said while secretly blushing. Thank goodness it was dark. "Are you stalking me or something?" I asked.

"And if I said yes?"

"**Shānnarō! That would be so hot!"** my inner squealed.

"Uh, it would be kind of weird," I murmured. I looked away, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Sa-ku-ra?" he purred.

I slowly turned to face him. His brawny hands caressed my neck as his face inched closer to mine. I could feel my heart racing and my palms felt sweaty. Nervousness invaded my stomach and burst into a form of millions of butterflies, fluttering deep in my bowls. **Bring on the kiss baby!**

His lips moved past mine and towards my ear. His hot breath trickled down my neck. A faint smell of mountain dew lingered from his hair. I can't tell you how aroused I was right now.

"Sakura?" he murmured softly in my ear.

"Yes Sasuke-kun?" I whispered. I closed my eyes and bit onto my bottom lip.

"There is a spider on your neck."

"NANI!" I screamed. I jumped to my feet and frantically started running around. "Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!" I yelled, slapping my neck.

"Sakura, stand still," Sasuke commanded.

I obeyed and froze on the spot. He moved towards me, extending his arm towards my neck. He gently picked the putrid arachnid off of me. I shivered as I saw the black, eight legged creature trying to squirm its way out of Sasuke's grasp. He flicked the spider onto the grass. I dodged behind Sasuke and watched the creature scurry off into the opposite direction. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Arigato Sasuke-kun. You are a real life...a-a-achoo!" I sneezed, cupping my hands over my nose.

"You're getting sick," Sasuke stated.

"No, I'm fine. It was just a snee...a-a-ACHOO!" I sneezed again. The wind blew around me, cooling my skin. I clutched onto my naked arms and tried to stop myself from shivering.

"You're cold."

"No, I'm not. I'm fine. I'm shivering at the thought of that disgusting spider crawling on my neck," I lied.

He sighed and shook his head at my stubbornness. "Here," he said, draping his jacket on my shoulders.

"Oh. Um, arigato Sasuke-kun," I said while sniffing back the slimy snot that threatened to drip out of my nose.

"Hn. Just don't get any of your disgusting mucus on it."

"No promises," I joked.

He glared at me, almost frightening me a little.

"Geez, calm down. I was only joking," I scowled.

We stood there for a while, staring at each other in silence.

"Well, I think I should go home now," I said.

"Hn."

"Aren't you going to walk me home?"

"Why? You know the way," he smirked before turning away.

_What...the...FUCK! I really don't know what's up with this guy. One minute he seems to be into me, the next he's a total ass face! _**Maybe he's just shy? **_Wait, WHAT? YOU'RE DEFENDING HIM NOW? __**Aw, come on. He's smoking hot! **__That's a pathetic excuse! You are totally fucked up in the head, do you know that. _**You are aware that we are the same person, right? **_Shut up._

As I walked back home, I wrapped the navy blue and white jacket tightly round my body. I sniffed the material through my snotty nose, barely catching the whiff of Sasuke's scent. **You see! You're sniffing his clothing! **I inwardly growled at my inner to shut up. I was just curious to know what he smelt like. I mean his hair smelt good, so why can't I just have a whiff of his body too? Wait, that didn't come out right.

Upon reaching my castle, Jiraiya-sama made me a cup of warm tea and sent me straight to my room to get some rest. I quickly discarded my bra and changed into my Hello Kitty tank pyjama top with matching boxer shorts. He brought some food for me along with some potions to help cure my fever. I thanked him and soon after nibbling on my dinner and gulping down the potion, I passed out.

(The next morning)

I shivered underneath the covers. I wrapped myself into a cocoon to warm myself up, only to find that now I was boiling. I threw the covers off of my chest to cool myself off. My throat felt dry and scratchy. I most probably coughed the whole night without realizing it. The potion Jiraiya gave me really knocked me out. I can't even remember having a dream. There was no doubt about it, I was definitely sick.

Sighing, I turned onto my back enjoying the soft mattress cushioning my body. I slowly opened my eyes and immediately gazed upon a pair of onyx eyes towering above me. His black bangs dangled in front of his face. "Oh hey Sasuke," I spoke softly. I closed my eyes, smiling dreamily. My eyes immediately flickered open again. "SASUKE!"

I sat up straight. "What are you doing here!" I screamed. I could feel the cold returning to my chest area. And that's when the realization hit me. I peered down to see that my nipples started poking through my thin tank top. I hurriedly pulled my blankets up to cover my nipple stand. I could feel the heat rise towards my face. I looked at him and scowled at the smirk on his facade. "You're such pervert Sasuke!" I growled.

I suddenly started coughing which agitated my throat. I felt weakness consuming my body, so I lay back down underneath the covers. A wave of nausea invaded my throat. Ugh, I hate the flu.

My eyes then travelled back towards Sasuke. He seemed to be watching me with a hint of worry in his visage. _Does this mean he cares about me? _ _Is that why he is here, because he wants to make sure I am alright?_

As if on cue, Sasuke suddenly spoke up, "Sakura? Are you...?" 

"Yes, Sasuke-kun?" I croaked.

"Are you done with my jacket?"

Yeah, I'm fine...wait, WHAT!"

"I came to get my jacket back."

"You're not even going to ask how I'm feeling?"

"I told you already to not expect me to sit by your bedside until you are feeling better," he said in his usual monotonous voice.

I just sat there, staring at him with shock filled eyes. He really is an ass face. He is insensitive, confusing and over all fucked up in that pretty little head of his. Why on earth does my inner like him so much?

"Here," I growled throwing his jacket at him, "Just take it and go."

He grunted his thanks and took off, leaving me to start punching my pillows in frustrations. _How dare he mess with my emotions! Well I'm onto his game now; I will no longer fall for it! _I felt each punch getting weaker, so I lay back down to get some more bed rest.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The music started pumping through the speakers. My body twisted and turned to the beat. My hips shook back in forth to the rhythm. And even though I was in my pyjamas and there was still no bra, I still went crazy with all possible dance moves. I couldn't help it. I was stuck in my bed for three days and now I suddenly have a burst of energy. So I decided to pad out in to the living room, play some music and dance away. Oji-sama is out running some errands, so at least he won't be here to stare at my bouncing boobs and try to come up with ideas for his porn books.

As I continued dancing I heard someone chuckling behind me. I spun around to face the intruder and was surprised to find Sasuke standing there, leaning against the doorway. I instinctively crossed my arms, trying to hide my breasts. "Sasuke! How the fuck did you get in here!"

"The door was unlocked," he said, taking a step towards me. I followed his movement by backing away.

"Well WHAT are you doing here?"

"Thought maybe I would come over to see how you are doing," he shrugged, taking another step forward. "But by judging the energy you had just now, it seems you are well once again."

"So you decided that you would just suddenly barge in here and check up on me, even though you specifically stated that you don't care for my well being?" I raised an eyebrow and took another step back. _I'm onto your game mister._

"Hn. I'm a fickle person." He smirked, striding towards me.

"Well as you can see, I'm fine," I stated, my back now hitting against a wall. _Kuso! He's boxing me in._

"So you can go. Thanks for stopping by Sasuke."

"Sa-ku-ra," he purred. _Uh oh. When he purrs my name, something bad is going to happen. What's he up to?_ He arms extended out and touched the wall, preventing me from escaping. I prepared myself for whatever he was going to do. His body inched closer to mine. My arms were still covering my chest. My breathing had deepened for I was trying to calm my racing heart. I watched his face draw nearer, lips almost touching. _Watch out Sakura, _I reminded myself, _this is just a trick. You know his game._ But maybe I was wrong this time, he never came this close to me before. Maybe this time he really is going to kiss me again. Maybe he DOES have feelings for me but he's just confused.

Our lips nearly touched when a loud voice was heard coming from the main entrance of the castle, "Sakura-chan! Oji-sama is home! Guess what, I've got some..." he stopped as soon as he came to the living room. Sasuke and I turned to face Jiraiya. He stood there awkwardly, staring at us for a second. Suddenly he whipped out a notepad and a pencil, ready to take down some notes. "Don't mind me," he said, giving us his infamous pervy grin, "this just gives me an idea for my next novel. Please carry on."

Sasuke then turned to face me again. _Is he seriously going to do this while my grandfather is standing there, watching us?_ His face came forward again and stopped as our lips were a millimetre apart. "Sakura," he called out my name again, "You have a zit on your nose."

"..." I was speechless. My one hand travelled up to my nose and my index finger traced the skin. It felt a tiny bump but it was barely noticeable. My breathing became ragged, my arms dropped to my sides and my hands clenched into a fist. "You...came...here...just to tell me...that I have a zit on my nose," I rasped.

"Uh oh," I heard Jiraiya say.

My anger started boiling inside of me. I was sick of this guy trying to confuse the shit out of me. He just pulled the last straw.

Before my fist could come into contact with his face, Jiraiya had pulled Sasuke away from me. "Blockardus!" he shouted, causing a red, see through box to trap me. Jiraiya's magic scent surrounded the air inside the box. The smell of toad infiltrated my nose. I angrily pounded my fist against the walls of the magic container. I was determined to break through it so that I could beat the pretty out of that egotistical bastard.

Sasuke inched closer to the box, examining me carefully. "Sakura," he said, "as your rage grows, so does your zit."

"SASUKE! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" I screeched, pounding even harder on my prison walls. Cracks suddenly started forming on the red walls as I kept pounding on it even harder.

"Kid, you better get out of here. I can only hold her back for so long," Jiraiya grunted. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he concentrated really hard on keeping me imprisoned. His arms were shaking violently from the box starting to weaken.

Sasuke nodded and casually walked out. This angered me even further. How dare he not see me as a force to be dealt with!

"Oji-sama! Let me go! Let me teach that piece of shit a lesson! I don't know who he thinks he is but I'm going to kill him!"

"Sakura, just calm down," Jiraiya grumbled.

But I didn't listen. Instead I continued trying to break through the cracked walls. With one final punch I broke through. The box shattered, leaving broken red shards on the floor. Jiraiya was affected by the impact and collapsed on the floor. I didn't care, I was too focused on killing Sasuke with my own two hands. I ran out of the castle to see if he was still around. But to my great disappointment, he had disappeared.

Scowling, I trudged back inside the castle. _If I never see Sasuke again, it will be too soon. Now I see what Gaara-kun was protecting me from._ I started cracking my knuckles, ready to unleash my anger on something. Since Jiraiya had prevented me from doing what I wanted, maybe I shall make him the unlucky victim.

"Oh Oji-sama!" I called out, my mouth twisted into an evil grin, "Where are you Oji-sama?" I returned to the living room to look for my perverted grandfather but unfortunately by the time I got there, he was gone. I think he knew that I would have taken my anger out on him so he hid himself away. Smart man. He knows not to mess with a woman bearing a grudge.

**A/N: Chapter 7 complete! I know this chapter may seem like a filler but there was a reason why I wrote it.**

**But anyway, what did you guys think? Did it at least make you all sweat drop everytime Sasuke was going to do something cute and then...BAM! Disappointment! And did I make you guys giggle a little? Let me know by dropping me a nice little review. **

**PLEASE! I get people who read my story but there's no feedback. It make-ith me so sad-ith. T.T**

**Pweeeeeeeze hit the review button.**

**Oh, I might not update for a while. I'm losing the will to write so I decided I'm going to take a little break and concentrate on my art work. I'm currently drawing my own Naruto chibi's. (And yes that includes Gaara! Kawaii!) I'm also going to draw funny Naruto comics. So as soon as I make my own account for ****DeviantArt****, I'll post them up if you wish to see them.**

**Until then, I'll leave it up to your imagination as to what will happen next in my story. (Don't worry, to make up for my absenteeism , chapter 8 will be the longest chapter in my whole story.)**


	8. Chapter 8 : mine

Chapter 8: Mine

_**A/N**_**: Chapter 8 and it's looking great! Good news, this is the longest chapter in the whole story! I highly doubt the rest of the chapters will be just as long but we'll see. This is just to make up for my absentee, so I hope you enjoy it.**

**I added some humour in the beginning, so I hope it makes you giggle. ^_^**

_**Warning: **_**Naruto will be humiliated in the following chapter. Hehe, I can't help it. He's just so easy to pick on. But I love Naruto-kun! He is in my 'top 5 Naruto guy's' list. But Gaara stays number 1! Eeeeeeep! Kawaii! Ashiteru Gaara-kun! 3 **

_**Disclaimer: **_**I don't own Naruto but at least I own this story. So I suppose that's better than nothing.**

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"The wedding is drawing nearer."

"A wedding parade will be held in two days! We will finally be able to meet the groom."

"It will be a most glorious day."

"I hear the groom is one of the most powerful prince's in Hi no Kuni."

I tried blocking out the annoying noise of civilians chattering about the royal wedding. Princess Ino had made sure everyone was talking about it. She expects everyone to attend a parade she is hosting to help celebrate her soon to be marriage. She will be standing on a beautifully decorated float alongside the groom to be. No doubt she will look gorgeous in some sort of white dress.

Oh, if only I could cast a spell on her float which would cause it to break while she is standing on it. I can just see her body hitting the ground and rolling into a mud puddle where a pig like her belongs. But unfortunately, she would know that I cast the spell due to a small thing called 'Magic Scent'.

You see every witch or warlock has their own special scent which infects their spells. When a spell is cast on a victim, a specific smell will linger around them, giving away the witch's or warlock's identity. My magic scent is cherry blossoms, so therefore Ino would catch onto me.

Even if I could handle my punishment, I still won't be able to do what I wanted. I promised Gaara that I would never cast a spell on Ino or any other royal. I don't want to go against his wishes, so I'll just have to bite back the temptation and use my imagination to indulge in the glorious scene.

As I continued walking along the streets of Konoha, I was greeted by a loud, bubbly voice, "Hey Sakura-chan!"

I spun around and beamed when I saw an energetic Naruto running towards me. "Konichiwa Naruto," I waved.

He tackled me for a hug. His arms wrapped around me tightly, squeezing the breath out of me. "I missed you Sakura-chan! I heard you were sick, are you ok?"

"N-Naruto, c-can't b-b-breathe," I gasped, trying to push the energetic blond off of me.

"Eh? Oh, gomenasai Sakura-chan," he released me from his strangling embrace. He took a step back and eyed me up and down. "Ah, I see you've gotten a lot bigger," he grinned.

"BAKA! Are you calling me fat?"

"Eh, nani?" he looked confused for a moment until he saw me a taking a step towards him with a fist in the air. "IIE! IIE! What I meant was-ITAI!" he whimpered, rubbing his head after I hit him. "Sakura-chan, that hurt," he pouted.

"Good!"I smirked.

We walked alongside one another, peering into all the shops. I knew Naruto hated shopping but he would usually tag along just to keep me company.

"Uh, Sakura-chan?"

"Mmmm?" I replied while looking at a cute dress on a mannequin.

"Are you going to watch the wedding parade?"

"Ugh, why would I want to do that?"

"I was just wandering if you would go with me. You know I hate going to places by myself," Naruto nervously rubbed the back of his neck. I was about to decline but he spoke up again, "Remember that day I went shopping with you and you made me do things that I didn't want to do?"

_Flashback _

"Please."

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"Sakura-chan I really don't want to..."

"Please Naruto, no one will know."

"NANI! WE'RE IN PUBLIC!"

"No one will see!" I pleaded.

Naruto still refused my request. So it was time to bring out the big guns and if that doesn't work, violence will. I took deep breath and tilted my head down ever so slightly. My lips started quivering and my eyes twinkled. Finally, my cheeks were puffed out to complete the look. It was my perfect puppy dog pout, something only the most cold hearted of people could resist.

Naruto studied my face very carefully. "Eh, Sakura-chan? What's wrong with your face?" he asked, poking my inflated cheek.

My eye started twitching in irritation and soon my cute, innocent facial expression was replaced with a facade of murderous intent. "Baka! How dare you not fall for my puppy dog face! Now you are going to do this favour for me, even if I have to break every bone in your body and turn you into a puppet!" I grabbed one of his ear lobes and started dragging him into the dressing room.

"Itai-tai-tai-tai-tai-tai-tai ! Sakura-chan, that really hurts!" he groaned as I threw him into the constricted space.

I ignored him and instead, threw the dress that hung over my arm at him. "Just put this on baka!" I demanded as he caught it.

Using his finger tips, he held the dress far away from his body, as if it was going to give him some fatal disease. The dress was a deep purple and had three ruffled layers at the bottom. It was a boob tube and its length stopped four fingers above the knees. Sliver flower embroidery was place on the left side of the hip area. Naruto looked at the dress with disgust. "Why must I try this on Sakura-chan?" he whined.

"Because," I sighed, "I'm buying this dress for Tayuya itoko-chan* for her flute recital. You're about the same length and width as her so I need you to try it on so that I will be assured that it will fit."

"I still don't get it," Naruto scratched his head.

"Just put it on. I'll be back, I'm just going to go look for accessories to match the outfit. And I still need to go to another store to find the perfect shoes. Don't take the dress off until I see it, got it?" I warned while waving my fist in front of his face. Naruto turned pale and nervously nodded his head. As I walked out of the dressing room, Naruto closed the door behind me.

I continued browsing the store, trying to find the perfect necklace and bracelet to match the dress. I stopped browsing when I something caught my eye. I stared at the sight before me in absolute astonishment. My eyes widened as the realization finally hit me. "NARUTO!" I screamed at the top of my voice.

"Oi!" I heard his voice cry frantically. I heard him practically crashing through the dressing room door and the thudding of his bare feet, running towards me. "Sakura-chan! What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. I shakily pointed forward. His eyes followed the direction of my finger and his face fell when he saw what I was pointing at. "Are you pointing at those shoes, Sakura-chan?" he grumbled.

I suddenly started squealing with delight. "Yes! Those shoes match the dress perfectly! They're so kawaii!" I seized a pair of black and purple, open-toed high heel shoes. At the back of the heel, purple lace was threaded through and the tied into a small, neat bow.

I spun around to face Naruto, beaming at the fact that I found the perfect footwear for Tayuya-chan. My smile faded as I saw my blonde friend wearing the dress. His spindly, hairy legs stuck out underneath the skirt. The top of the dress drooped off his chest, as he had no breasts. (_**A/N: **_**Wow, I sound like Killer Bee. I didn't mean to make that rhyme)** He blushed as he heard the snickering of the other customers in the store. I felt guilty for making him run out here in front of everyone to see. That is until my eye suddenly caught sight of the blonde bush that was growing underneath his armpits.

"Baka! Take off that dress before you perspire all over it!" I panicked. I then started chasing after him, trying to yank the garment off of him before it stank. It was the last one in its size, so I couldn't just simply take another one. The more he ran, the angrier I became. "Naruto, take off your clothing immediately!" I demanded, much to the delight of the audience that was watching us. "Take it off! Take it off!"

"Aaaaarrrrgggghhhhh! Help me!" The Uzumaki wailed, trying to escape my grasp.

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Naruto stood awkwardly in front the store. His eyes were as wide as ramen bowls. A bright red shade coloured in his face. "S-Sakura-ch-chan. I-I can't enter in t-there," he stammered and pointed awkwardly at the lingerie store.

"Don't worry about it Naruto. You're not going to do anything crude; I just need you to hold all my shopping bags while I go try on some stuff on."

He started blushing. I glared at him, wondering if he was imagining me in my underwear.

"Uh, w-won't Gaara k-kill m-me?" he asked, looking around suspiciously.

"No," I assured him, "he's training with Oji-sama today, so they won't be back until evening."

He still looked unsure and turned his head, refusing to look at the underwear store. "Can't you do this some other time by yourself," he groaned.

"You know I can't," I pouted, "You know Gaara is always trailing behind me when I'm doing my shopping and it's just awkward doing underwear shopping with your brother."

"But why do I have to tag along?"

"I'm so used to shopping with Gaara, that even though he annoys me, I can't stand shopping alone."

Naruto stared at the floor and awkwardly shuffled his feet. His cheeks were still flushed. I sighed impatiently. He was going in with me whether he liked it or not. My hand lunged for his earlobe again and pulled him into the lingerie store, ignoring his tearful pleas.

"Sakura-chan, I don't want to go! I don't want to!" he whined like a toddler.

"Naruto, shut up!" I hissed, "Everyone's watching us."

But he didn't care that he was bringing attention towards us and threw a tantrum. I eventually resorted to clobbering him to calm him down. After giving one yelp in pain, he grumbled to himself.

"Just shut up and wait right here," I commanded, shoving the shopping bags in his hands. I then proceeded to leave him standing near a shelf, while I browsed the racks.

In the end, I had selected a few pairs of lacy underwear in different colours ranging from red, black, white, pink and blue. I also picked out various coloured bras, some with patterns, some plain. My final item that I had chosen, I'm going to have to make sure it's well hidden from my protective sibling and my perverted grandfather. It was a silky, pink corset with black lace sewn on vertically, starting from the breast cups. Black ribbon was used to decorate the middle as it formed a criss-crossed pattern. At the bottom two black layers of see through material joined the pink silk. The corset came along with matching pink and black lace panties.

**Kawaii! We are going to look SEXY! **_Do you really think I should get it? You know Gaara doesn't allow a guy to even look at me, let alone sleep with me. _**Bah! Who cares about Gaara-baka? What matters is that we can arouse any guy we want! Shānnarō!**

Even though I liked what my inner was saying, I was still unsure about purchasing it. So I decided it was time for a second opinion.

"Naruto?" I said, turning around to face the blonde. I pressed the outfit against my body, "Do you think I should buy this?"

"Na-na-na-NANI? Why would you ask me that Sakura-chan! Do you think I'm some kind of pervert? To think I'm even in here, how did I ever..." he rambled on and on. The bags in his hands rustled as he stomped his feet and twisted and turned his body in sheer panic. I rolled my eyes at his frantic state. **Just buy the damn thing! You're in a lingerie store after all! **I sighed but then agreed with my inner self. Why not treat myself to something nice, even though the opportunity will never appear.

I shoved my hands deep into my pockets to fish out my purse but it wasn't there. I sighed, remembering I dumped it in one of the shopping bags. I grabbed said bags from my blond friend and shoved the underwear in his hands. "Hold this," I commanded. His jaw dropped and his eyes twitched as he held the under garments in his hand. I rolled my eyes at his immaturity. If he keeps acting like this, he is never going to get a girlfriend, much less get laid. _Unless it was that slutty princess, Ino, _I smirked.

I dug through the mountains of clothes inside the bags searching for my money. Naruto was still in complete shock due to what was resting in his hands. His hand shook as he continued to stare at the lacy material.

"Oi! Naruto!" a familiar voice called out.

Naruto slowly turned his head towards the door, "K-K-Kiba?"

I followed the Uzumaki's gaze to see Inuzuka Kiba leaning against the door frame, grinning evilly. I raised an eyebrow at the brunette before returning to my search.

"I love the new underwear Naruto. Very sexy," Kiba cackled.

"IIE! IIE! This isn't what it looks like!" the Uzumaki cried in sheer panic.

"Man, this explains so much! You ARE a fag!"

"YOU FILTHY MUTT! I'LL KILL YOU!" Naruto shouted, losing his temper once more.

I looked up to face Kiba. He was clutching his stomach to try and reduce the pain from laughing. His unusually long canines glimmered in the light. "Those under garments belong to me. Naruto is just holding them for me," I explained. This made Kiba crack up even more.

"Sakura-chan, don't try to help me," Naruto whimpered, shaking his head in embarrassment.

"So you're her gay shopping buddy?" he hooted with laughter. Naruto's anger seethed as he began stomping his feet and throwing his hands in the air. Tears of rage started streaming down his cheeks.

"You shouldn't even be peering inside this shop, you pervert. Just piss off already," I growled.

"Hey, I'm embracing my masculinity, unlike _some _people. Oh man, wait until I tell the other guys!" he chuckled before finally walking off.

Naruto dwindled into a little emo corner. "My reputation is ruined," he mumbled to himself.

"Aw, don't worry about him Naruto. If anyone is a fag, it's him. I mean he'll probably bang a dog before he even touches a woman," I said, patting his shoulders, "Now come on, let's go pay and then I'll treat you to some ramen."

"Yosh!" he shouted, punching the air. He then grabbed my hand and dragged me to the counter.

_End of flashback._

I felt really bad tarnishing my friend's reputation like that. I shook my head and sighed. "Alright Naruto, I'll go with you to the wedding parade okay?" _After all, it's the least I could do. _

"Arigato Sakura-chan! I'll meet you there at 8!" he beamed and gave me a hug. He then said goodbye and sped off into the opposite direction. I shook my head my head sadly. _Why do I have a feeling that day is going to drag on forever?_

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I seated myself upon a cold, wooden bench. I criss-crossed my legs on the bench and suddenly felt relieved. It felt so good to finally allow my feet to rest. I placed all my shopping bags next to me, where I could keep an eye on them. While I was resting, I decided to read through the new spell book that I had purchased. I dug inside a yellow bag and pulled out a thick book, wrapped in a silver cloth. I pulled of the material and opened up the book. I flipped and skimmed through the pages, looking for any interesting enchantments.

"Hm, this is interesting," I mumbled to myself as I caught sight of some fascinating text.

_Set a Spell Timer_

_When casting a spell, a witch or warlock may choose whether or not the enchantment must be activated immediately or at a later time. Time settings can vary from years or until the next time you see the castee. _

_To set a timer:_

_You must first cast the spell you want to use. Afterwards, draw a circle in the air using your index finger. Draw 6 times._

_While drawing the circle, keep repeating ONE of the following options:_

_Sedes _**(For the next time you see the person)**

**insert number here **_Dath _**(Days)**

**insert number here **_Monthus _**(Months)**

**insert number here **_Yerticus _**(Years)**

_After completeing the above instructions, slam fist down onto the ground to allow the magic to travel through the ground and onto the victim._

I grinned maniacally. I HAVE to remember this spell! It could come in handy, just in _time. _After giggling at my own pun, I continued skimming for any other interesting spells.

_Paraplegic spell_

_To paralyze the victim from the waist down._

_Instructions:_

_Chant the following sentence..._

_Kurend abak no weesta Plesso _**(followed by the person's name)**

I smirked as I memorized the spell. If I ever decide to become an evil villainess, I will definitely use this enchantment. **Start with Ino-pig, **my inner cried gleefully.

"Good book?" someone asked. A dark shadow shaded the pages. I hurriedly closed the book, preventing the person to read anything.

"Not that interesting," I lied and looked up. I gasped as I saw a familiar blonde haired hottie in front of me. A long fringe covered his one eye while the other glowed a bright blue. "D-Deidara?"

He flashed me his charming smile before taking a hold of my hand and kissed it, "Hello Sakura. Un."

I shivered at his gentle touch. I couldn't believe he Deidara was standing before me. I hadn't seen him since that day Gaara had attacked him. "What are you doing here?" I blushed.

"I came back to visit Konoha. I'm pleased to have bumped into you Sakura-san. Un."

"Yeah, me too, it's been a while huh?" I giggled nervously while rubbing the back of my neck. "I'm sorry, I wanted to apologise for my brother's behaviour but I never got the chance."

"That's alright. Un. I'm...sorry about...the accident."

"Oh, thanks," I said, giving him a small smile.

An awkward moment silence passed between us. We locked eyes for a bit, blushes both baring our cheeks. He broke our eye lock and glanced at the bags that were placed on the bench. "May I carry that for you?" he asked, pointing towards the bags. Before I could answer, he threaded his fingers through the handles and lifted the bags from the bench. "Where to next?" he beamed.

I smiled at him gratefully. "Home," I said.

We chatted along the way. Deidara told me about his love for art and how he wanted to become a famous sculptor. I then told him about my witchcraft, my enemies (a.k.a Ino) and my weird family. It was quite refreshing to have a decent conversation with such a wonderful guy. He was more interactive then Sasuke could ever be.

Upon arriving at my humble abode, I lead Deidara into the living room. He carefully placed the bags on the couch. "Arigato Deidara-kun. I really appreciate you carrying my stuff for me," I said, feeling a strange feeling of Déjà Vu. "Um, can I offer you something to drink?"

"No thanks. I can't stay long," he said, moving towards me. His hand reached out and lightly touched my chin. He tilted my head up, forcing me to look into his bright blue eyes. "You are not the piece of artwork that I remember for you have been improved. Un," he said, examining my face. He then bent down and pressed his lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck as we deepened the kiss. I could feel his soft fringe brushing against my skin. A soft smell of kiwi shampoo emitted from his golden tresses.

He slowly pulled away, as if he was trying to savour the moment. "I believe I owed you that kiss. Un," he smirked.

"Well it was worth the wait," I giggled.

He took a hold of my hand and lightly brushed his thumb over the smooth skin. "Sakura," he bowed, "Would you do me the honour of going out with me tonight. Un."

I nodded my head vigorously; an excited grin was stretched out on my lips. "Yes, I'd love to Deidara-kun!"

"I'll pick you up around seven. Until then, I bid you adieu, yeah!" he kissed my hand. After releasing my hand, he spun around and headed towards the front entrance.

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The steam made it's way towards the hall as I opened the bathroom door. I clutched onto the towel that was wrapped around my body. I could feel the water droplets slide down on my smooth skin, tickling me while doing so. I ruffled my damp hair as I strolled towards my bedroom.

Upon entering, I immediately headed straight for my closet to find the ideal outfit. My fingers pushed the coat hangers apart so that I could examine each item of clothing. I grabbed multiple garments and pressed them against my towelled body, before shortly rejecting and throwing them onto my bed. Eventually I decided on a red dress decorated with creased patterns. The dress hugged my waist before slightly poofing out in two layers at the skirt. A black, satin ribbon was sewn around my hip area. Along with the dress, I chose a pair of black, strappy high heels which rewarded me with extra height.

I then seated myself in front of my dressing table, glancing at the mirror. I stared at the damp pink hair that clung to the side of my head. The locks entwined with one another, giving off a curly appearance. I brushed my hair, ridding it of the knots that had formed. My hands then held my hair back in a high pony tail. I examined it in the mirror, deciding if the style was good enough. I then released my pink tresses and tried another style. I twirled my hair into a bun and allowed a few, small strands to curl up next to my face. _This is the one_.

After allowing my hair to dry, I tied it into the selected style. I then put on my underwear followed by my dress and matching shoes. Lastly, make up was applied to my face to bring out my best features. Feeling the need to be ensured, I strolled towards my lengthy mirror to admire my looks. I grinned as I stood in front of the long reflective surface, marvelling at my outfit. I jokingly struck a few poses and blew kisses towards my twin image. _Finally, _I thought to myself, _a look that makes me look casual, elegant and sexy. I'm ready for my date._

I selected a black, leathery handbag with chain straps to hold all needed essentials. I then grabbed a black jacket to take with just in case I get cold. After making sure I had everything, I headed downstairs to await Deidara's arrival.

I seated myself on the lime green couches in the living room. I leaned back, taking a deep breath. I couldn't believe I was going out on another date with Deidara! I glanced at the silver clock that hung on the wall. With each tick, I could feel my excitement rise and ready to burst out any moment. I crossed my legs and anxiously started shaking the foot that was just an inch above the ground.

"Nervous eh?"

I turned my head to see Jiraiya leaning against the wall. I nodded my head vigorously. He chuckled at my eager but anxious nerves. He strolled towards the same couch and seated himself next to me. "Don't worry kiddo, you are going to have a great time," he said as his hand reached to ruffle my hair. I playfully smacked it away, not wanting him to ruin it.

Suddenly, the sound of a bell echoed throughout the castles walls. I immediately jumped to my feet. My heart was beating so hard that I thought it was going to jump right out of my chest. Jiraiya rose back up on his feet. He placed his hand on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze for reassurance. I looked up and smiled at him. The door bell rang once again, so I gave my Oji-sama a quick hug and ran towards the door.

"Oh, Sakura!" he called after me. I stopped and glanced back, waiting to hear what he had to say. "Have fun," he winked.

I cocky grin spread across my lips, "If anything happens, I'll be sure to take notes for your next novel."

He chuckled once more and with a flick of his wrist, he urged me to head towards the door. I nodded and did as I was told.

My hand rested on the metal doorknob. I took a deep breath before finally opening the door. My heart immediately jumped to my throat as I saw Deidara. He was wearing a black business suit. The white shirt he wore under his black blazer was unbuttoned at the top. I caught a glimpse of a tattoo inked on his bare chest.

"Wow, you look quite picturesque tonight," he said, pressing his lips against the back of my hand.

"Wow, yourself. That suit looks incredibly sexy," I commented.

He gave me a mischievous grin before closing the door behind me. "Shall we go?"

I nodded in response and waited for him to lead the way. His fingers slipped through mine and gently tugged at my hand, urging me to follow him.

"Where are we going?"

"Well first, we are going for a walk. You are like a perfect sculpture and therefore I want to show your beauty to the world. Un," his lips twisted into a sexy grin as his visible eye gazed at me.

I shyly turned my head away and bit my bottom lip to stop the blush that threatened to colour my cheeks. I could feel my heart having the toughest race it's ever had. Heat spread to the palm of my hand and I could feel the embarrassing sweat dampen our skin. I glanced at Deidara at the corner of my eye, hoping by some chance that he didn't notice our moistened hands. A smirk was just placed on his gorgeous face. He felt my gaze upon him and turned his head to return the stare. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "There's nothing to be nervous about," he said, trying to comfort me.

He was right, nervousness was quite stupid at this point. I'm going out with one of the most gorgeous males in the world. Nothing is going to spoil my night.

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"I hope you are hungry. Un." he said as we entered a posh restaurant. I gasped as I looked around the double story eatery. The circular tables were either draped with red or gold tablecloths. Candles shed a dim light on the tables, creating a very romantic mood.

A waiter directed us to our reserved table. We walked up a narrow staircase and were seated on the top floor which allowed us to view the whole restaurant. Our table sat next to a black balcony railing. The metal twisted and turned like vines to develop magnificent, delicate patterns. My gaze then shifted upwards as I looked at a beautiful, crystal chandelier, glimmering in the light.

"Your menu, miss," the waiter said monotonously, handing me a black, leather covered booklet.

I thanked him and began scanning through the various gourmet dishes. I nervously bit my bottom lip as I tried to pronounce the French names in my head. _Cassoulet? Bouillabaisse? Bœuf Bourguignon? What the fuck is this stuff. I may live in castle but that doesn't mean that I live the rich glamorous life! _

I quickly peeked at the prices of each dish and gave out a faint gasp. They were charging us a fortune! Truth be told, I would have been happy with a cafe or even Naruto's stupid ramen stand. A small chuckle pulled my attention away from the menu and towards my date.

"You may order whatever you like. Un," Deidara said, smirking at my gobsmacked expression.

"But..." I stated as I shifted my gaze back towards the over charged prices.

"Money is not an issue. Un, " he reassured me. "Now, may I recommend the Coq au vin?"

"Uh, sounds great!" my teeth bit down harder on my lower lip. **We don't even know what the fuck that even is! **_Well it's not like I can ask him what it is. I'll look like a total dork._

" It's chicken braised in red wine, lardons and mushrooms. Un."

I smiled gratefully at Deidara and nodded my head politely. "Well if you recommend it, then it must be good. You o seem to have impeccable taste."

"Of course I do. I picked you, didn't I?" he smirked.

I'm sure you could guess what my reaction was. **(A/N: -sigh- que the blush!)**

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**Warning! Sensitive readers should not go beyond this point. I'm not sure if I made it all that bad but I just want to be on the safe side.**

Colourful paintings contrasted against the plain white walls as they hung on the silver nails. Colours intertwined on the rectangular canvas, forming shapes and figures to tell a story. Many people gathered around the individual paintings, their hands were hidden behind their backs.

His arm was wrapped around my waist as we walked around the gallery, admiring the many forms of artwork. Butterflies twirled and danced inside my stomach as I felt his gentle touch. I tried to concentrate on the moulded clay that formed an amazing sculpture but all I could see was the blonde haired male next to me. He was the only true artwork I could see, the perfect painting.

I looked away and tried to listen to him explaining the meaning of the moulded clay figurine but all I could hear was his beautiful voice.

"_Focus Sakura! You have to listen to what he is saying or else you will look like a total idiot!" _I scolded myself.

"Don't you think so Sakura?" Deidara asked.

"Ah, yeah! I agree," I said quickly, trying to act like I had been paying attention.

He chuckled slightly and gently pinched my chin, forcing me to look up at him. "Am I boring you Sakura-san. Un," he purred.

I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks as I flushed with embarrassment. "N-N-No! This is really i-i-interesting. Paintings are really cool," Fuck! Did I just say painting? "Uh, I mean sculptures!" I giggled nervously.

He cupped my face in his firm hands and chuckled, "I love how I make you so nervous."

That voice, those eyes. I really just wanted to melt into his fingers.

"Now come with me," he purred while releasing my face.

He threaded his fingers through mine and pulled my arm. I felt so hypnotised by him that my body automatically followed him. My heart skipped a beat with every powerful stride he took. My mind was racing, wondering what final romantic plan he had in store for our date.

"Where are we going?" I inquired, my curiosity getting the better of me.

He glanced back and smirked then looked forward once more. That smirk, that sexy smirk. I really couldn't stand how amazing he was.

I was so engulfed in his beauty that I did not notice we were walking farther and farther away from the crowd. I was so mesmerized by the heat of our two sweaty palms that I didn't notice the isolated corridor where no paintings hung. The butterflies in my stomach were so distracting that I ignored the warning bells that were ringing in my head. I ignored all the warning signs until I was pushed inside a closet filled with cloth covered paintings. Deidara closed the door and moved the shelf to barricade it.

I blinked in confusion as I finally noticed the sudden darkness taking over the room. But before I could ask what was going on, Deidara had his lips pressed against mine. His hand caressed my face as he delivered sweet, soft little kisses.

He then pulled away to smile at me, his thumb brushing against my cheek. He then smashed his lips onto mine once more, his kiss now more rough and demanding. His tongue ran over my bottom lip, as if knocking to be allowed in. Even though I was shocked at the sudden passionate gesture, I opened my mouth wider to allow him entrance.

His tongue travelled inside my mouth and rubbed against my own tongue. I returned his action and soon our tongues were entangled in a zealous make out session.

He suddenly slammed me against a wall, making me gasp but he never once broke our smooch. He then pressed himself against me. I felt his hand brush against my legs, then thighs and suddenly headed for my underwear.

It was then I came to my senses and realised what he was up to. I broke the kiss and pushed him off of me.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!" I screamed at him.

"Don't you like it Sakura? Un," he cooed, suddenly kissing my neck.

"No, I don't want to do this!" I insisted, trying to push him away again but this time he wouldn't budge.

"You are a beautiful piece of artwork and I must claim you," he murmured, not tearing himself away from my neck.

"Not today you aren't!" I shouted. I clapped my two hands together and was about to perform a spell when Deidara seized both wrists and held them above my head. I tried to wriggle away but he had a tight grasp.

He pressed himself against me once more and sucked on the pulse on my neck. His one hand held tightly onto my wrist while his other held my thigh. He forced my one leg up so that he was able to come closer. I tried to struggle free but he had me pinned, I couldn't move an inch. I let out an ear piercing scream, calling for help.

"Yes, scream my little Sakura. Un. It makes you all the more appealing," Deidara moaned.

"Someone will come save me!" I hissed.

"I doubt it, no one can hear you. Un. The walls are sound proof," he purred.

His hand skilfully squeezed between the wall and my back and he unzipped my dress. He pulled down my attire, leaving me to stand in my underwear. His hand then travelled inside my bra cup where his started massaging my breast.

With each touch I cringed in disgust. I kept trying to free myself, to try and kick him away but it was close to impossible. Tears began spilling from my eyes as the fear took over my body.

"Please," I whispered, "Just let me go."

He stopped for a second and stared at me. He then pressed his forehead against mine and stared into my hatred filled eyes. He then grinned manically. "Art shouldn't be left unfinished," he cackled.

His free hand stopped touching my body and instead rested on his belt buckle. He fiddled with the buckle until he pulled it off and dropped the belt on the floor. He then pulled down his pants followed by his boxers. He then reached for my own underwear, ready to pull it down. I screamed, the tears still flowing down my cheeks. I closed my eyes, hoping it would help get everything over and done with. I could feel his presence move closer and closer towards me and I prepared myself for the worst.

_Why didn't I listen to you Gaara? I should have stayed away from Deidara in the first place. You were right to have attacked him that day in the cafe. Is it because you sensed that he was bad news? Or maybe you just didn't want anyone to touch me? Is this a lesson that you have sent to me from beyond the grave? Do I deserve to be punished, for taking away your life? If so, then I shall take it. I deserve it. I deserve it. I deserve it..._

Suddenly Deidara's weight was lifted off of me. My wrists were no longer restrained. My tearful eyes slowly flickered open. A flash of gold and raven hair blurred before my vision. I blinked a couple of times until my vision was clear. A loud gasp escaped my lips when I finally realised what was going on.

There stood Sasuke, towering over a fallen rapist. His foot was placed on the semi-naked Deidara's stomach, pinning him down. A look of utter anger was painted across Sasuke's face. His onyx eyes quickly scanned me before returning towards Deidara. Then without warning, he flew down towards the blonde and continually struck him blow across the face.

The sounds of bones cracking filled my eardrums. I felt so paralyzed and confused about everything that was happening that all I could do was just watch the gruesome sight before me. Crimson red blood dripped down the blonds' nose and mouth, staining his golden fringe.

I saw Sasuke standing up once more and he started kicking Deidara. Multiple blows were delivered to his ribs, stomach and even to his crotch. All I could really comprehend was the sounds of Deidara screaming and his rib bones entering their final cracks.

I fell to my knees and dug my fingers into my head. I shivered as the trauma finally took its toll. The tears still came pouring down and dripped onto my bare lap. A gentle hand rubbed circles on my naked back. I flinched and looked up to see who was touching me. Sasuke kneeled before me but avoided looking at my exposed body out of courteously. I glanced fearfully behind him but to my relief, Deidara was gone. Only a pool of crimson blood lay on the floor in his absence.

I looked up at Sasuke once more, before flinging myself at him and not caring about my exposed flesh. I clung onto his shirt and sobbed into his chest. His hand stayed on my back and rubbed soothing circles. Even though I wasn't embraced in a hug, I felt safe just by being close to him. I felt grateful that he had saved me and that he allowed me to soak his shirt in my tears. He was my saviour, my hero.

"T-thank you S-Sasuke," I whispered.

"Hn."

I looked up to stare at his handsome face. He returned my gaze and our eyes locked. Feeling shy, I broke the eye contact and subconsciously stared at his lips. They looked so plush, pink and...

I leaned towards them and kissed them. Sasuke didn't respond at first but then he started kissing back. His fingers buried themselves in my damp, untidy hair. The kiss was gentle but yet so magical. It was perfect.

Still clinging onto his shirt, I leaned backwards and dragged him down with me. He towered over me, our lips still tasting each other. His bangs gently tickled my cheeks. For the moment, I forgot the horrible earlier ordeal. I forgot the terror I had felt a few moments ago. All I wanted to feel right here, right now, was Sasuke.

His fingers started tracing the outline of my curves. His lips parted from mine and started kissing my neck. I moaned, closing my eyes to enjoy the feeling.

Suddenly he stopped and hurriedly pulled away. I opened my eyes and stared at him in confusion. I saw a worried expression on his face as he slowly got off of me. I could understand what he was thinking. Here I was, about to get raped a few minutes ago and now I'm willing to have consensual sex with a guy I barely even know. It did seem rather sluttish but at this point in time, I didn't even care.

I smiled at him and gave a nod. He studied me for a minute and looked deep in thought. _Probably deciding whether or not I'm insane more than likely, _I thought to myself.

He then rose back up on his feet and walked towards the door. My heart sank. _Did I do something wrong? Do I look extremely slutty right now?_

I felt like smashing my head against a wall for looking so foolish. Why was I such an idiot! I'm a useless witch, a murderer and now a slut.

I was about to cry all over again until I heard a shuffling noise. I looked up to see Sasuke moving a shelf in front of a door. He then bent down and climbed on top of me. I gave a faint sigh of relief as I felt his weight on my body. He looked at me one last time as if to ensure I was ready.

I simply pulled him down by his shirt and kissed him once more. "I'm ready," I whispered in his ear.

**Ok now for some important/useless notes about the chapter:**

_**A/N: **_

**Let's first start with the Naruto-Sakura part of the story**

*** Itoko=cousin**

**I drew a little cartoon picture of Sakura showing Naruto the shoes (While he is in the dress) follow this link to view it - just remove the spaces http:/ fave . me/ d4ai69e **

**P.s, I gave her a little witch's hat just for the fun of it. ^_^ **

**I am aware that Sakura would NEVER let Naruto hold her underwear, but he hasn't been in the story much and I wanted him to appear. Also, my aim was to make you laugh a little, so I just had to come up with ideas that would humiliate him. What do you think?**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**I just want to apologise for the OOCness of Deidara. I just wanted him to get beat up because I don't like him.**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**Let's see, what else can I type in my author's notes? Hmmm, I can't think on an empty stomach. I need bacon. (I can't help but wonder if you guys are imagining that I am this really obese person because of all this bacon talk. Well just a heads up...I'm healthy size, nothing more and nothing less. Haha, it's defiantly not less. My word, I would die if I became anorexic! I love my food WAY too much! Zoinks! I'm like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo!)**

**Oh my gosh! My computer did it again! I was writing about Deidara and the Akatsuki theme started playing! Super creepy! First Lee, now Deidara? Who's next? Hmmmmm. Come on Gaara...DAM it didn't work!**

**I have one more thing to say, I have an idea for a sequel BUT that's only if I get reviews from people who want a sequel. Otherwise, I'm just going to end the story in chapter 10. So it's up to you.**

**REVIEW, anonymous or not.**

**Until next time, sayonara mina-san! =D**


	9. Chapter 9: Broken Promises

Chapter 9: Broken Promise

My bed felt hard and cold beneath my naked body. My hands fumbled around for my blanket but instead found another source of heat. The texture was that of flesh, so my groggy mind quickly concluded it was a body. Confused, I slowly opened my emerald eyes and immediately saw unfamiliar shelves, paintings and boxes, stacked against one another. I sat up straight in fright and quickly looked to see who was lying next to me.

A naked body lay on the floor; the person's face was covered with tousled raven locks. I brushed them away, exposing Sasuke's beautiful face. Suddenly everything came flooding back and I remembered everything from the previous night. The date, Deidara and then Sasuke. Not to mention my virginity that was almost stolen and then willingly given away. It was a crazy night.

I couldn't help but smile. Every girl dreams of a knight in shining armour. I guess even a witch may earn that privilege. I leaned forward and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. He frowned a little then turned on his other side. I gave him a gentle shake. He grunted and scrunched up in a tight ball.

"Sasuke, come on. We have to get up."

He ignored me. I shook him a bit more. He swatted my arm away.

"You're not a morning person are you?" I sighed. I stood up and after having a good stretch, I proceeded to dress myself. I then faced the door and frowned at the shelf Sasuke had moved in front of the door. I sighed and mustered up all my strength to push it away. I tried my best to keep my grunting quiet as to not wake Sasuke but it proved to be quite the challenge.

After great effort, I was able to move the wooden object out of the way. I turned around again to face the handsome man displayed at my feet. I bent down and gently stroke his hair.

"Thank you for a wonderful night." I rubbed his arms and chanted a heat spell in order to keep him warm until he woke up. I then grabbed his shirt and through it over his crotch. Then after a quick kiss, I jumped up and slipped through the door.

The key slid in and quickly turned. _Click._ With shoes in hand, I quietly padded into the house and closed the door behind me. I quickly locked up and tip toed upstairs and made my way to my bedroom. I heard a loud snore drafted from Jii-sama's bedroom and I breathed a sigh of relief. Good, he was still fast asleep. I just hope he wouldn't hammer me about the events of last night. I didn't want to talk about it.

I crept silently into my room, closed the door and flopped onto my bed. I didn't even bother to change. Instead, I allowed myself to drift off to sleep.

It was late in the afternoon when my eyes finally fluttered open. I sat up straight and stretched out my back and arms. I jumped out of bed and rushed towards the bathroom to get myself cleaned up.

As I stepped back out, my hands ruffling my hair with a towel, I felt someone grab onto my arm. Before I could react, I was roughly pushed onto my bed and a figure sat on top of me. I shrieked and tried to fight back but two hands restrained my wrists. I shook my head to try and remove the wet hair that was covering my face. As my tousled strands fell to the sides, I gasped as I saw a livid Sasuke towering over me. His clothes were frumpily and I noticed that they were the same clothes he had worn last night.

"H-hi Sasuke," I smiled meekly.

He said nothing and instead continued to glare at me.

I took a deep breath. "Look if you're mad that I left you this morning, it's because you didn't want to wake up. I tried to-"

"You should have tried harder," he spat.

"But you-"

"Do you know how humiliating it is to wake up to the gallery owner bursting through the door and you're completely naked!" he growled. He released his grip and climbed off of me. He sat at the edge of my bed, his back facing me. I sat up and peeked at his face. I had to stifle a laugh. _Is he pouting?_

I moved closer and sat next to him. I fumbled with my fingers nervously. "I'm sorry, Sasuke."

"Hn."

"Look, I feel really bad. Why don't I try to make it up to you tonight?" I smiled at him.

He turned to look at me, curious. "And how are you going to do that?"

"Whatever you want," I smiled again.

The raven haired man glanced down at my towel covered body and smirked. I blushed and edged away from him. "Anything but that." He snorted and looked away. "How about I take you out tonight? To wherever you want to go. My treat."

Sasuke stayed quiet for a while. He then stood up and walked towards my bedroom door. Just before he disappeared, he turned and said, "Meet me in the park at seven tonight." He smirked, "And bring lots of money." And with that he left.

I groaned and fell back onto my bed. Bring lots of money? Just what the hell was he up to? I guess I'm going to have to beg, borrow or steal from Ojii-san.

But despite thinking that it was going to be an expensive night, I couldn't help but feel excited. I grinned to myself and walked over to my wardrobe and begin planning for tonight…

It was a perfect evening. A gentle breeze swept past me, blessing me with a gentle touch. It was almost as if it was wishing me luck on this date. I grinned, my heart racing with excitement. I spotted a bench near the spot where we were to meet. I seated myself and waited patiently for my date to arrive. I looked around anxiously, eager to see him. But all I could see were shadows casted by the night and the dim lights made by the lamps in the street.

I sighed and tried to calm my excitement, figuring it was best to look more cool than desperate. So I sunk back into the bench but still searching for him out of the corner of my eye.

.

.

.

.

One hour later, he had still not arrived. I was starting to panic a bit but tried not to let it bother me too much. He was just running a little late after all. Two girls walked past me laughing and joking with one another. I couldn't help but wish had some company myself...

.

.

.

.

Two hours later, he still hadn't arrived. By now my mind was racing, trying to make up excuses for him. He was held up. He was lost. He had another engagement. He had gotten the dates mixed up. Anything but the "S" word...

.

.

.

.

The rain was pouring down. I was so soaked, not one inch of dryness could be found on me. By now I had kept my head down, pretending the water pouring from my eyes was just the rain the seeped through my hair and had made its way toward my face. Four hours in counting. The two girls from before had returned, big umbrella in hand. They ducked underneath a roof for shelter. One girl shook their blue umbrella, trying to rid it of most of the water particles. The other girl was pointing at me and whispering something to her friend. They both gave a loud giggle. They knew what the situation was. And no matter how much I was denying it, I knew it too. I had been stood up.

I clenched my jaw. My nails dug into my legs, drawing blood. I was fuming. I stood up, my breathing ragged and my blood boiling. "You have just pissed off the wrong girl Sasuke!" I shouted to the heavens. "_Kurend abak no weesta Plesso, Sasuke!" _I recited my spell. I then began drawing a circle inthe air,_ "Sedes, Sedes, Sedes, Sedes, Sedes, SEDES!" _I screamed, slamming my palm onto the ground. I felt the power coursing from my veins and flowing into the ground. "You better hope that I don't see you again Sasuke!" I spat. I then stood up and glared at the two girls who were now shivering in fear.

The sun shone brightly through my window, basking my room in a warm, yellow light. It was disgusting. Why did the day have to be so beautiful?

I threw my blanket over my head, cursing. I wish it were raining. Not because of my disastrous evening. But rather for the special event that was lined up for today. I wondered what time it was, but then again, I didn't care. I threw my blankets over my head and cuddled up to my pillow. I just wanted to go to sleep and never wake up...

"SAAAAKURA-CHAN!" I heard a loud obnoxious voice shout. "DATTEBAYOOOOOOO!" A huge weight bounced onto my bed, just barely missing me. I felt a pair of hands latch onto me, shaking me quite violently.

"Sakura-chan! Why aren't you dressed yet? Today's the day! You promised! You promised! You promised!"

"Naruto..." I growled. I slowly rose up and removed the covers from my head. He immediately let go of me. "Who gave you permission to come barging into my room to wake me up?" I started cracking my knuckles. This guy, I thought, really pisses me off sometimes.

"But Sakura-chan," he groaned, whilst rubbing his head, "it's already 11 o'clock and you promised that you would go with me to the wedding parade."

I wanted to wring the buffoon's little neck and throw him out of my towers window. But when I peeked at his face, intending to send him a threatening glare, the blond idiots blue eyes widened in an attempt to look cute. He pouted slightly, trying to persuade me to go with him. I scoffed at the ridiculous face he pulled and suddenly felt my mood lift. That idiot can make anyone's day brighter.

"Fine," I sighed, "I'll go with you. Just let me get ready first."

"Dattebayo! Thank you Sakura-chan!" he yelled out at the top of his lungs before performing a little dance celebrating his victory.

I gritted my teeth at the loud noise he was making. I grabbed my pillow and threw it at his head, screaming for him to get out.

The blond dodged and dashed towards the door before I could get my hands on anything else to throw at him. He gave me one last cheeky grin before ducking his head out the door and slammed it shut. I sighed at his crazy nature before hoisting myself up and to prepare for what may very well be, a long day.

My palm was sweaty against Naruto's. I was a bit embarrassed to be holding his hand in public but understood that it had to be done or else we would lose one another at the parade. The crowd was ridiculously huge. I shook my head at the pathetic citizens of the kingdom. Did they have no lives? Were they really that keen on the bitchy princess's wedding?

A hard tug on my hand snapped me out of my thoughts. Naruto dragged me through the crowd once more and pushed people away until he found the perfect spot to view the parade. I sighed in frustration. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I REALLY didn't want to be here. I turned towards her idiot friend. His eyes were shining with excitement as his head impatiently snapped in all directions, eager for the event to start.

"Naruto, why did you want to come here?" I asked.

He gave his signature grin and retorted, "Its simple Sakura-chan! I heard that they are going to give away free food!"

My eyebrow began to twitch in annoyance. _Free food? That's it? THAT'S the reason I was dragged out here? _"I hope you're joking Naruto..." I growled, holding a fist in mid air.

Naruto, oblivious to my mood, motioned for me to hush down. "It's starting," he pointed out.

We both turned our attentions towards the parade. I have to admit, it was quite impressive. It was as expected of a royal family to go through such lengths of preparing a lovely event.

Marching bands stomped past us, their music blasting through the air, creating a festive mood. Many performers followed afterwards. Fire breathers, Dancers, children, even magicians. Any type of entertainment you could think of, it was here.

The floats were also spectacular. There was some in the shapes of a yin yang sign, castles, cakes and even one (much to my distaste) that looked like Princess Ino.

"And now," the announcer spoke, "The moment you've all been waiting for. I present to you Princess Ino and her prince...Uchiha Sasuke!"

There was uproar within the crowd as everyone whistled and cheered. I, however, felt different. "Sas-uke..." my voice quivered. He's a prince? HE was Ino's soon to be husband. But that meant...oh no. I panicked and immediately ducked my head. The couple's float hadn't crossed my vision yet so he was safe. I spun around and was about to duck through the crowd when I felt someone grab my arm. I was yanked back and fell into Naruto's arms.

"Where you going Sakura-chan?" he asked, a hurt expression evident on his face.

I pushed myself off of him but he still held onto me. I looked up and saw the couple's float drew nearer. "Naruto, please let me go..."

"No. Not until you tell me what is going on. Look at you! You're shaking!"

I blinked in surprise. I didn't even notice that my body was trembling. "Naruto, please. I did a very bad thing. Please just let me go before it's too late," she pleaded.

The Uzumaki gave me one last final look before finally releasing his grip. I gave him a grateful nod. But just as I was about to run when I heard a gunshot. Instinctively, my head turned back in surprise, trying to see if someone was launching an attack. But it was just someone onboard of the float, a gun pointed in the air and showering streamers down upon the crowd. _Shit!_

It was too late, I spotted Sasuke out of the corner of my eye.

_No! _

My body collapsed onto the floor in defeat, tears stinging my eyes. I gritted my teeth as I heard a loud scream piercing the air and silencing the parade. A thud. Gasps. A frantic bride. I didn't need to see any of it. The sounds were clear enough. The spell had been cast. Should I run? It was only a matter of time until Sasuke is drenched in my magic scent.

"SAAAAAKURAAAAAAA!" screeched Ino.

Any thoughts of escaping were now demolished. Naruto draped an arm around me and tried to bring me back up on my feet.

"Sakura-chan, what's going on?" he asked

I couldn't speak. My eyes shifted towards the float as I spotted his body on the floor. He tried to stand up but his efforts were in vain. Ino was clinging onto him desperately and sobbing. Her nose was crinkled in disgust, no doubt smelling the scent of Sakura all over her prince.

"Sakura-chan!" I whipped my head towards Naruto, "You have to go. The guards are coming!" He's face was filled with concern. He spun me around and tried to push me away but the I felt too weak to move on my own. I felt the horror, disgust and guilt flood all over me. How could I possibly run?

"There she is! The one with the pink hair!" someone, presumably a guard, shouted.

The crowd around me dispersed and glared at me hatefully.

A hand grabbed my arm and roughly yanked me back. Despite how much it hurt, I felt numb. I didn't try to fight back. I didn't try to escape. I wouldn't do anything to save myself.

"Sakura-chan! RUN!" I heard the Uzuamki shout.

I ignored him and instead allowed the guard to pull me to towards a carriage.

"SAKURA!" Naruto roared.

"Quick! Restrain the boy!" someone yelled.

I turned back to see ten guards, in all their armoured glory, crowd around the blonde and holding him back. He fought with all his strength, desperately trying to fight his way towards me but the guards were too much for him.

"it's okay Naruto," I smiled meekly, "I deserve this."

My hands were roughly yanked together behind my back. I felt a cold object clamp around my wrist before I found myself being shoved into the cart. I lost my balance and crashed onto the wooden floor. I didn't try to sit up. Instead, I closed my eyes in remorse and bit hard on my bottom lip. _What have I done?_

The tears slid down my cheeks. This was the end for me. I knew I had commit the worst crime possible in all of Konoha that was punishable by death.

But that was not the worst of it. I had commit a sin against my brother. I had broken my promise

_I'm sorry…_

_Gaara._

_**A/N: **_**I was planning on doing a one shot sequel for this story but I'm not getting much feedback for ****Magic ain't so Magical. ****So I guess I'll just end it in the next chapter. Just as well I suppose. I lost the will to finish anyway LOL. I even had to finish this chapter through gritted teeth, so it's a bit sloppy. I apologise for that. But I promise chapter 10 is waaaaaaaay better. I'm halfway through it. I was more excited for writing that chapter instead of this one.**

**Anyway, sorry for the long wait.**


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